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UKNebraska Voters to Decide on Online Sports Betting Legalization in November
Key Highlights
- Nebraska voters will decide whether to legalize online sports betting in the Nov. 3 election.
- Two related petitions qualified for the ballot after meeting statewide and county signature requirements.
- The proposal could allow up to 12 online sportsbook platforms tied to Nebraska racinos.
Nebraska bettors may soon be able to make legal sports wagers from their mobile devices after state officials certified two ballot petitions for the November general election.
Online Sports Betting Reaches Nebraska Ballot
Nebraska is one of 39 states with legal sports betting, but players are currently only permitted to place wagers at retail locations, specifically licensed racetrack casinos. The November ballot measures include a constitutional amendment authorizing internet-based sports wagering and a separate initiative establishing how the market would be regulated.
Tax Relief Nebraska (TRN), a lobby group behind the ballot petitions, collected nearly 350,000 valid signatures to satisfy the requirements for both measures. Under the sports betting proposal framework, 70% of tax proceeds from legal operators would go toward property tax relief.
Several prominent sportsbooks contributed funding toward TRN’s campaign, including FanDuel and DraftKings. Total funding for the campaign cleared $6.2 million.
Petitions Clear Signature Requirements
The constitutional amendment needed signatures from at least 10% of registered Nebraska voters, along with support from at least 5% of registered voters in 38 counties.
On August 21, the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office confirmed that the minimum 138,473 valid signatures were submitted, while the proposed amendment cleared the county threshold in 64 counties. The regulatory initiative faced a 7% statewide signature requirement and the same 38-county minimum. It qualified with at least 96,918 valid signatures and met the required threshold in 55 counties.
The petitions advanced despite concerns raised by the Lancaster County Election Commissioner over potentially fraudulent signatures. The Nebraska Family Alliance has also opposed the petitions, with executive director Nate Grasz calling it “a major expansion of online gambling financed by out-of-state gambling companies” and questioning the legitimacy of the property tax relief claims.
What Nebraska Sports Betting Could Look Like
If voters approve online betting in Nebraska on Nov. 3, Nebraska law could permit authorized gaming operators to offer online sports wagering.
The regulatory proposal would amend the Nebraska Racetrack Gaming Act and allow each racino, a combined casino and horse racetrack, to have as many as two online sportsbook platforms. With the current structure, that could produce up to 12 platforms statewide. Operators would also be required to use servers located in Nebraska.
The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission would have until June 1, 2027, to adopt regulations.
Before Election Day, the Secretary of State’s office plans to hold public hearings in each of Nebraska’s three congressional districts and publish informational materials explaining the ballot measures.
