Nebraska moved closer on August 27, 2026 to putting the legalization of online and mobile sports betting to a statewide vote after two initiatives backed by Tax Relief Nebraska cleared the signature thresholds required by the Secretary of State.
The first measure, the Online Sports Wagering Authorization Constitutional Amendment, would amend Article III, Section 24 of the Nebraska Constitution. The second, the Online Sports Wagering Regulation Initiative, would amend the Nebraska Racetrack Gaming Act to allow licensed operators and their technology providers to offer online sports wagering.
The constitutional amendment secured at least 138,473 valid signatures and met the geographic threshold in 64 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. The statutory initiative collected 96,918 valid signatures and cleared the required threshold in 55 counties. Before verification, the campaign had submitted approximately 201,446 signatures for the amendment and 146,509 for the statutory measure.
The registered sponsors are Kyle Adema, Jordan McGrain and Tim Moran, all publicly linked to the Sports Betting Alliance. WarHorse Casinos is also backing the effort. Its CEO, Lance Morgan, has supported a model involving platforms such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Circa and bet365.
The final decision will rest with Nebraska voters on November 3, 2026. The election process is administered by Secretary of State Robert “Bob” Evnen, while Jim Pillen remains the state’s governor. If approved, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, chaired by Dennis P. Lee, would be responsible for building the regulatory framework. The statute is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, with final rules due no later than June 1, 2027.
The market would retain a 20% tax on GGR, with most proceeds directed to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund. A study by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming projects around US$87 million in new tax revenue over five years, of which roughly US$61 million could go toward property tax relief.
