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Nebraska will allow residents to vote this November on whether they want to legalize online Sports Betting.
The Secretary of State’s office confirmed on Friday, Aug. 21, that it certified both of the state’s two online sports wagering petitions.
One of those pushes a constitutional amendment that would authorize online sports wagering, and the other is a statutory initiative that
would outline the regulatory framework for a market model.
Currently, Sports Betting in the Cornhusker State is limited to in-person wagers at approved retail Sportsbooks hosted on-site at
licensed racetracks. The regulatory measure would amend existing state law to allow in-state racinos to partner with a maximum of two
online Sports Betting companies to offer mobile wagering statewide.
Led by a group known as Tax Relief Nebraska backed by Sportsbooks and casinos, each of the petitions cleared the threshold
to appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot. State officials must certify the full ballot by Sept. 11. The Secretary of State’s
office will hold public hearings on the measures in each of Nebraska’s three congressional districts, at dates to be determined.
If voters say yes in November, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission would lay out its rules and regulations by June 1, 2027.
Nebraska online betting petitions get almost 350,000 signatures
The petitions needed to beat different thresholds to qualify for the election ballot:
Constitutional amendment petitions require valid signatures from at least 10% of registered voters in Nebraska (127,054 signatures)
and at least 5% of registered voters in 38 of the state’s 93 counties
Statutory initiative petition requires valid signatures from at least 7% of state voters (88,938 signatures) and 5% of voters in 38 counties
Secretary of State Bob Evnen’s Office confirmed that the Online Sports Wagering Authorization Constitutional Amendment petition and the
Online Sports Wagering Regulation Initiative petition each met those signature requirements, hitting at least 138,473 and 96,918. respectively.
The state ended the signature verification process once each petition hit 110% of its required total.
Reports in June suggested that the constitutional amendment petition exceeded 201,000 signatures and the regulation initiative
petition garnered approximately 146,000 signatures.
“We are grateful to every Nebraskan who participated in the process and signed our petitions,” said Jordan McGrain, a local political
consultant working for Tax Relief Nebraska, as quoted by local media including the Nebraska Examiner. “We believe voters will agree that
a legal and regulated online sports wagering marketplace will keep the money in Nebraska, generating new revenue for local communities
and millions of dollars in property tax relief.”
Sportsbooks giants, Nebraska tribal gaming operator push
The ballot measure progress comes after some lawmakers have tried to legalize online betting in past years.
In 2025, proposed legislation from Sen. Eliot Bostar that would have put online sports wagering on the 2026 election ballot gained
bipartisan support and approval by Nebraska’s unicameral legislature on a 27-16 vote in its first floor vote. Bostar ultimately withdrew
the proposal after lawmakers spoke in opposition and it was indefinitely postponed in April.
Nebraska will allow residents to vote this November on whether they want to legalize online Sports Betting.
The Secretary of State’s office confirmed on Friday, Aug. 21, that it certified both of the state’s two online sports wagering petitions.
One of those pushes a constitutional amendment that would authorize online sports wagering, and the other is a statutory initiative that
would outline the regulatory framework for a market model.
Currently, Sports Betting in the Cornhusker State is limited to in-person wagers at approved retail Sportsbooks hosted on-site at
licensed racetracks. The regulatory measure would amend existing state law to allow in-state racinos to partner with a maximum of two
online Sports Betting companies to offer mobile wagering statewide.
Led by a group known as Tax Relief Nebraska backed by Sportsbooks and casinos, each of the petitions cleared the threshold
to appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot. State officials must certify the full ballot by Sept. 11. The Secretary of State’s
office will hold public hearings on the measures in each of Nebraska’s three congressional districts, at dates to be determined.
If voters say yes in November, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission would lay out its rules and regulations by June 1, 2027.
Nebraska online betting petitions get almost 350,000 signatures
The petitions needed to beat different thresholds to qualify for the election ballot:
Constitutional amendment petitions require valid signatures from at least 10% of registered voters in Nebraska (127,054 signatures)
and at least 5% of registered voters in 38 of the state’s 93 counties
Statutory initiative petition requires valid signatures from at least 7% of state voters (88,938 signatures) and 5% of voters in 38 counties
Secretary of State Bob Evnen’s Office confirmed that the Online Sports Wagering Authorization Constitutional Amendment petition and the
Online Sports Wagering Regulation Initiative petition each met those signature requirements, hitting at least 138,473 and 96,918. respectively.
The state ended the signature verification process once each petition hit 110% of its required total.
Reports in June suggested that the constitutional amendment petition exceeded 201,000 signatures and the regulation initiative
petition garnered approximately 146,000 signatures.
“We are grateful to every Nebraskan who participated in the process and signed our petitions,” said Jordan McGrain, a local political
consultant working for Tax Relief Nebraska, as quoted by local media including the Nebraska Examiner. “We believe voters will agree that
a legal and regulated online sports wagering marketplace will keep the money in Nebraska, generating new revenue for local communities
and millions of dollars in property tax relief.”
Sportsbooks giants, Nebraska tribal gaming operator push
The ballot measure progress comes after some lawmakers have tried to legalize online betting in past years.
In 2025, proposed legislation from Sen. Eliot Bostar that would have put online sports wagering on the 2026 election ballot gained
bipartisan support and approval by Nebraska’s unicameral legislature on a 27-16 vote in its first floor vote. Bostar ultimately withdrew
the proposal after lawmakers spoke in opposition and it was indefinitely postponed in April.