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Gaming Edge’s TL;DR
- Nebraska’s push to legalize online sports betting has cleared an important procedural step, with supporters saying they submitted enough signatures to reach the November ballot.
- The effort is not final yet: the signatures still need to be verified by the Nebraska secretary of state.
- If the measures qualify, Nebraska voters would decide whether to expand legal sports betting beyond physical casinos and allow licensed racetracks to partner with online operators.
Tax Relief Nebraska said it submitted signatures for two measures tied to online sports betting. One is a constitutional amendment, and the other is a separate initiative that would require the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission to have rules in place by June 1, 2027.
According to the campaign, it collected more than 200,000 signatures for the constitutional amendment, well above the 127,000 needed. It also said it gathered 140,000 signatures for the second measure, compared with the 87,000 required.
The proposal would allow licensed racetracks and their online partners to offer sports betting under regulation from the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. Nebraska currently requires bettors to travel to a physical casino to legally place sports wagers.
Geoff Zochodne described the ballot route as part of a broader industry strategy.
“It’s a bit of a gamble on this side of the industry to try to bring this to the voters, but it’s proven to be a pretty successful one in other states.
“For years, this was debated in the Missouri Legislature, and it just couldn’t get across the finish line, and so the industry decided to take it directly to the people.”
Major sportsbooks behind effort
Campaign filings show Tax Relief Nebraska received more than $7 million in donations, mostly from DraftKings and FanDuel. That financial backing underscores how closely major operators are watching states where mobile betting is still unresolved.
Supporters say the tax structure would mirror Nebraska’s existing casino revenue rate of 20%. Tax Relief Nebraska projects $87 million in tax relief over the first five years, including $61 million earmarked for property tax relief.
Warhorse Casino’s Lance Morgan argued that online betting is already happening outside the state’s regulated system.
“Online has exploded either through VPNs or these predicted markets, so it’s already happening at scale. It’s totally unregulated, totally untaxed.”
Opposition is also organized. Nebraska Family Alliance’s Nate Grasz said:
“This is not about tax relief. It’s not about improving the lives of ordinary Nebraskans; this is about enriching large, national, out-of-state gambling companies at the expense of our kids and student athletes.”
What’s next?
The immediate next step is signature verification by the secretary of state. Two questions now matter most: whether enough valid signatures remain for both measures, and whether both will appear on the November ballot.
If they do, Nebraska voters will decide whether the state joins the list of jurisdictions expanding sports betting from retail-only access to online wagering.
Based on reporting by Quanecia Fraser for KETV 7 Omaha.
