By Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill designed to prevent a surge of new casinos throughout Nebraska has cleared a key hurdle in the Legislature.
The Legislature’s General Affairs Committee advanced a measure that would allow casinos in the six Nebraska counties that already have licensed horseracing tracks.
Anyone who wants to build a casino in another part of the state would have to wait for the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission to conduct a study looking at the potential impact on the state.
The study would be due by Jan. 1, 2025. Sen. Tom Briese, the committee’s chairman, says the measure strikes a balance between developers and communities who want to build casinos and gambling opponents who worry about casinos saturating the state.