Nebraska Online Sports Betting Ballot Push Clears Signature Hurdle, Heads for November Vote Review

Nebraska election officials are reviewing petitions that could put online sports betting before voters this November, after Tax Relief Nebraska submitted roughly 350,000 signatures across two related ballot initiatives. The campaign filed more than 201,000 signatures for a constitutional amendment and 146,000 for a companion statutory measure, with the amendment total clearing the estimated 127,054 signatures required.

Both petitions must still be validated before either measure can officially qualify for the November 3 general election ballot, but the volume of signatures submitted gives supporters a strong head start heading into that review process.

What the Measures Would Actually Change

Nebraska currently allows sports betting only in person at licensed racetrack casinos, a retail-only model that has been in place since the state legalized wagering through LB 561 in 2021, with betting windows opening in 2023. Online and mobile wagering remain prohibited under current constitutional limits.

The proposed constitutional amendment would authorize licensed gaming operators, or platform providers under contract with them, to offer online sports betting under the Nebraska Racetrack Gaming Act. Bettors would need to be 21 or older, and each of the state’s casinos could partner with up to two online sportsbook operators, meaning as many as 10 online sportsbooks could eventually operate statewide.

A companion statutory measure would direct 70% of online sports betting revenue toward property tax credits, mirroring the revenue allocation model already used for the state’s casino taxes. That statutory piece would only take effect if voters also approve the constitutional amendment.

To qualify, the constitutional petition needed signatures from at least 10% of the state’s registered voters by the July 3 deadline, along with a geographic spread requiring support from at least 10% of registered voters in 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. The statutory initiative required a lower 7% threshold.

Industry Backing and the Case for Change

WarHorse Casinos has publicly committed to partnering with DraftKings and FanDuel if voters approve the measures, and is also reportedly in talks with BetMGM. Lynne McNally, WarHorse’s Head of Government Relations, expressed confidence about the campaign’s odds. “We’re optimistic that if we’re on the ballot in November, we should be seeing legalised mobile sports betting after that,” she said.

Supporters point to lost tax revenue as neighboring states with legal online betting, including Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Missouri, continue to capture wagering dollars from Nebraska residents. They also argue the retail-only model disproportionately limits access for rural bettors given Nebraska has just five casinos statewide. Nebraska’s in-person market generated about $9.3 million in 2025, according to the American Gaming Association, while supporters estimate a mobile market could generate more than $30 million annually in gaming tax revenue.

Concerns Remain Over Expanded Access

Opponents of the measures warn that expanding access via mobile apps could worsen gambling addiction rates, and question whether the added tax revenue would offset the social costs of wider access. Responsible gambling advocates have flagged concerns specifically around app-based betting, advertising volume, and in-game micro-betting products, particularly among younger bettors.

The debate arrives months after the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission launched a statewide self-exclusion program in partnership with idPair, expanding voluntary exclusion tools across the state’s regulated gaming venues. Whether that infrastructure would be sufficient to address concerns about a broader online market is likely to be a central point of debate as the November vote approaches.