Nebraska Group Submits Signatures to Put Online Sports Betting on Ballot

In an effort to put online sports betting on the ballot in Nevada, a group, Tax Relief Nebraska, has submitted more than 350,000 signatures for two petitions, according to the Nebraska Secretary of State. 

These were turned in in June, ahead of the July 2 deadline. 

One of the initiatives would legalize online sports betting in the state, while the other would establish a framework for taxing it and sending 70% of the funds to property tax relief. 

For the initiative to legalize sports betting, Tax Relief Nebraska collected 201,000 signatures, exceeding the 126,000 required for a constitutional amendment. 

Then, for the framework, it received an additional 146,000, exceeding the 88,000 threshold. 

Signatures Must Still Be Verified

Before it gets added to the ballot, though, the Secretary of State's Office has to verify the signatures. The initiative for sports betting would allow legal online sports betting for all players 21 and older. There would be a licensing framework, and the operators would need to pay tax on gross revenue. 

Right now, sports betting is legal in the state, but is confined to just in-person tribal casinos. If online sports betting is approved at the ballot, there would be a June 1, 2027 d, deadline for the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission to adjust its rules. 

WarHorse, a Nebraska racetrack and casino, and a group of online sportsbook operators and local investors are backing the efforts. For the ballot campaign, FanDuel and DraftKings funded more than $1 million. WarHorse has wanted legal online betting in the state for some time,e and this ballot campaign is the latest attempt. 

Tax Relief Nebraska says that online sports betting would generate tax revenue, create jobs, and keep all forms of gambling in-state. 

Supporters Hope to Bypass the Legislature

Online sports betting was pulled from the 2025 ballot, and now, with this campaign, they're hoping to bypass all legislation and go directly to voters in the state. 

The signature collection began in February 2026. 

In November 2020, casino gambling and in-person sports betting were approved by voters in the states. In 2024, Governor Jim Pillen mentioned sports betting as a tool to help with property taxes, and in 2025, Senator Eliot Bostar sponsored a bill but later pulled it. 

According to the Nebraska Examiner, the five casinos in the state accounted for more than $52 million in tax revenue in 2025, and $36.6 million of that went toward property tax credits.