2-1207. Horseracing; parimutuel wagering; how conducted; certificate, contents; deductions; licensee; duties; person under twenty-one years of age prohibited; penalty.

(1) Within the enclosure of any racetrack where a race or race meeting licensed and conducted under sections 2-1201 to 2-1218 is held or at a racetrack licensed to simulcast races or conduct interstate simulcasting, the parimutuel method or system of wagering on the results of the respective races may be used and conducted by the licensee. Under such system, the licensee may receive wagers of money from any person present at such race or racetrack receiving the simulcast race or conducting interstate simulcasting on any horse in a race selected by such person to run first in such race, and the person so wagering shall acquire an interest in the total money so wagered on all horses in such race as first winners in proportion to the amount of money wagered by him or her. Such licensee shall issue to each person so wagering a certificate on which shall be shown the number of the race, the amount wagered, and the number or name of the horse selected by such person as first winner. As each race is run, at the option of the licensee, the licensee may deduct from the total sum wagered on all horses as first winners not less than fifteen percent or more than eighteen percent from such total sum, plus the odd cents of the redistribution over the next lower multiple of ten. At the option of the licensee, the licensee may deduct up to and including twenty-five percent from the total sum wagered by exotic wagers as defined in section 2-1208.03. The commission may authorize other levels of deduction on wagers conducted by means of interstate simulcasting. The licensee shall notify the commission in writing of the percentages the licensee intends to deduct during the live race meet conducted by the licensee and shall notify the commission at least one week in advance of any changes to such percentages the licensee intends to make. The licensee shall also deduct from the total sum wagered by exotic wagers, if any, the tax plus the odd cents of the redistribution over the next multiple of ten as provided in subsection (1) of section 2-1208.04. The balance remaining on hand shall be paid out to the holders of certificates on the winning horse in the proportion that the amount wagered by each certificate holder bears to the total amount wagered on all horses in such race to run first. The licensee may likewise receive such wagers on horses selected to run second, third, or both, or in such combinations as the commission may authorize, the method, procedure, and authority and right of the licensee, as well as the deduction allowed to the licensee, to be as specified with respect to wagers upon horses selected to run first.

(2) At all race meets held pursuant to this section, the licensee shall deduct from the total sum wagered one-third of the amount over fifteen percent deducted pursuant to subsection (1) of this section on wagers on horses selected to run first, second, or third and one percent of all exotic wagers to be used to promote agriculture and horse breeding in Nebraska and for the support and preservation of horseracing pursuant to section 2-1207.01.

(3) No person under twenty-one years of age shall be permitted to make any parimutuel wager, and there shall be no wagering on horseracing except under the parimutuel method outlined in this section. Any person, association, or corporation who knowingly aids or abets a person under twenty-one years of age in making a parimutuel wager shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor.

(4) Beginning on the implementation date designated by the Tax Commissioner pursuant to subsection (1) of section 9-1312, prior to the winnings payment of any parimutuel winnings as defined in section 9-1303, an authorized gaming operator or licensee licensed to conduct parimutuel wagering shall check the collection system to determine if the winner has a debt or an outstanding state tax liability as required by the Gambling Winnings Setoff for Outstanding Debt Act. If such authorized gaming operator or licensee determines that the winner is subject to the collection system, the operator shall deduct the amount of debt and outstanding state tax liability identified in the collection system from the winnings payment and shall remit the net winnings payment of parimutuel winnings, if any, to the winner and the amount deducted to the Department of Revenue to be credited against such debt or outstanding state tax liability as provided in section 9-1306.

Source:Laws 1935, c. 173, § 7, p. 631; C.S.Supp.,1941, § 2-1507; R.S.1943, § 2-1207; Laws 1959, c. 5, § 1, p. 71; Laws 1963, c. 6, § 1, p. 66; Laws 1965, c. 9, § 1, p. 123; Laws 1973, LB 76, § 1; Laws 1976, LB 519, § 5; Laws 1977, LB 40, § 12; Laws 1982, LB 631, § 1; Laws 1983, LB 365, § 1; Laws 1986, LB 1041, § 4; Laws 1987, LB 708, § 5; Laws 1989, LB 591, § 2; Laws 1990, LB 1055, § 1; Laws 1992, LB 718, § 3; Laws 1993, LB 471, § 1; Laws 1994, LB 1153, § 3; Laws 2005, LB 573, § 2; Laws 2014, LB656, § 3; Laws 2021, LB561, § 8; Laws 2024, LB1317, § 46.
Operative Date: July 19, 2024

Cross References
Annotations