Nebraska Online Sports Betting Ballot Measures Clear Signature Threshold, Setting Up November Vote

Nebraska election officials are reviewing petitions that could send online sports betting to voters this November, after Tax Relief Nebraska turned in roughly 350,000 signatures across two connected ballot measures. The campaign submitted more than 201,000 signatures for a constitutional amendment, clearing the estimated 127,054 required, along with 146,000 for a companion statutory measure.

Both petitions must still be validated before either can officially land on the November 3 ballot, but the signature volume gives the effort a strong foundation heading into that process.

What Would Change for Nebraska Bettors

Nebraska currently permits sports betting only in person at licensed racetrack casinos, a model that has been in place since retail wagering launched in 2023 following the state’s 2021 legalization under LB 561. Online and mobile betting remain barred under existing constitutional limits.

The constitutional amendment would authorize licensed gaming operators, or their contracted platform partners, to offer online sports betting under the Nebraska Racetrack Gaming Act. Bettors would need to be 21 or older, and each casino could partner with up to two sportsbook operators, meaning as many as 10 online sportsbooks could eventually operate statewide. A companion statutory measure would send 70% of online betting revenue to property tax credits, mirroring how the state already allocates casino tax revenue, though it would only take effect if the constitutional amendment also passes.

To qualify, the amendment needed signatures from at least 10% of registered voters statewide by the July 3 deadline, plus support from at least 10% of registered voters in 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. The statutory measure carried a lower 7% threshold.

Sportsbooks Already Lining Up

WarHorse Casinos has already committed to partnering with DraftKings and FanDuel if the measures pass, and is reportedly in talks with BetMGM as well. “We’re optimistic that if we’re on the ballot in November, we should be seeing legalised mobile sports betting after that,” said Lynne McNally, WarHorse’s Head of Government Relations.

Supporters argue Nebraska is leaving tax revenue on the table as bettors cross into neighboring states with legal mobile wagering, including Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Missouri. They also note the retail-only model limits access for rural residents, given the state has just five casinos. Nebraska’s in-person market generated about $9.3 million in 2025, per the American Gaming Association, while backers estimate a mobile market could produce more than $30 million annually in gaming taxes.

Opposition Remains

Critics warn that expanding access through mobile apps could increase gambling addiction risks and question whether added tax revenue would offset those social costs. Responsible gambling advocates have flagged specific concerns about advertising volume and in-game micro-betting products, particularly for younger bettors. The debate arrives months after the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission launched a statewide self-exclusion program with idPair, expanding voluntary exclusion tools across regulated venues.