Nebraska Online Sports Betting Petitions Still on Track for Nov. 3 Ballot Despite Signature Fraud Probe

Nebraska’s push to legalize online sports betting is still on track for the Nov. 3 ballot despite a widening criminal investigation into potentially fraudulent petition signatures. Tax Relief Nebraska, the group behind the effort, says it remains confident it submitted more than enough valid signatures to qualify both of its measures for a statewide vote, even as Lancaster County officials flag thousands of signatures for review.

The controversy centers on Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen, who has referred more than 13,000 petition signatures tied to the online sports betting drive and three other 2026 ballot initiatives to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office and the county sheriff. About 68% of those flagged petitions involve suspected fraudulent signatures, while more than 20% were questioned because the signer may not be a registered Nebraska voter.

How the Petitions Got Here

Tax Relief Nebraska filed its two petitions in January and got the green light to begin circulating them in February. One measure seeks a constitutional amendment legalizing online sports wagering in the state; the other would establish the regulatory and tax framework for it, directing 70% of tax revenue toward property tax relief — mirroring the split already used for the state’s racetrack casino tax proceeds.

The group turned in its signatures on July 2, well ahead of the deadline, submitting more than 201,000 signatures for the constitutional amendment — nearly 75,000 more than the roughly 126,000 required — and about 146,000 for the tax and regulatory statute, comfortably clearing the roughly 88,000 threshold. Nebraska currently allows sports betting only in person at licensed racetrack casinos; online wagering is not yet permitted anywhere in the state.

Fraud Investigation Expands

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office investigation began with a separate case involving thousands of allegedly fraudulent signatures gathered for proposed Lincoln City Charter amendments, and has since expanded to cover all four statewide citizen-led initiatives on this year’s ballot cycle — a pool of more than 750,000 signatures in total. Six people have been arrested so far, according to Chief Deputy Ben Houchin, with investigators saying the case involves “thousands and thousands” of signatures still under review.

Sheriff Terry Wagner said his office will “follow the evidence and report those findings to the prosecuting agency for review,” while pledging to keep the investigation free from political interference. Tax Relief Nebraska sponsor Jordan McGrain, managing director of Riverfront Strategy Group, told the Lincoln Journal Star the campaign has not been contacted directly by the election commissioner or sheriff’s office but supports holding any bad actors accountable. “If any circulator was found to have committed fraud, they should be identified and prosecuted,” McGrain said. “Our goal is to collect signatures to get on the ballot, so fraud doesn’t help anybody.”

What Comes Next

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen must confirm by Sept. 11 whether the four measures under review — including both sports betting petitions — have enough verified valid signatures to be certified for the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Even with the flagged signatures set aside, the wide margin by which both petitions cleared their thresholds gives organizers a real cushion heading into certification.

If certified and approved by voters, the framework would legalize online sports wagering through licensed operators and platform providers, alongside continued in-person betting at racetrack sportsbooks, with the law set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. That would put Nebraska in position to join the growing list of states offering full mobile sports betting access, a shift bettors in neighboring states with legal online sportsbooks have already had for several years.