NewsLocal NewsIn Your NeighborhoodCentral Omaha

Actions

Fans from out of state are leaving Omaha to bet on College World Series games

Posted
  • Almost every team playing in the College World Series comes form a state where mobile sports betting is legal
  • Fans from out of state are finding other ways to bet on CWS games
  • Watch to learn more about how people are betting on CWS games

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Almost every team that qualified for the College World Series this year comes form a state where mobile sports betting is legal so, it's natural for fans to assume that they'd be able to do so in Omaha. However fans from out of town learned they'd have to make another trip if they want to bet on these games.

"We have a future on A&M to win the world series +2000," said Matt Borge

Nebraska is nearly surrounded by states that allow mobile sports betting…one of which, Iowa, is a quick walk away from Charles Schwab stadium. Something Matt Borge and Connor Core who are visiting from Texas learned early into their trip to Omaha.

"We've walked to the bridge a few times where it's legal there, but yeah we've just been betting on our phones," said Borge.

"Yeah we have friends that it's easier for them to place it so like you can just text them," said Core.

Fans from out of state have shone if there's a will there's a way. But, Jeremy Johnson a podcast host that also goes by XFL Jim, says crossing the border or texting a friend aren't the only options for getting around the rules.

Johnson said many turn to foreign bookies and VPN's which allow fans to bypass location detectors sports betting apps use to determine participants locations.

"People will gamble no matter what that was the whole point of getting casinos there in the first place, now it's just the next step is letting people sports bet it's one of the largest revenue system you can probably generate for a casino so many people want to do it and people will find away whether Nebraska takes in the money or not," said Johnson

According to Ho-chunk Inc. Nebraskan's crossed the state border to place bets on their phone 18 thousand times during the football season alone.