Nebraska voters in November will have the opportunity to decide on expanding sports betting to the internet, as the statewide ballot will feature a referendum on online sports wagering.
Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen (R) certified the online sports betting petition on August 21. The referendum consists of two parts, one asking if the Nebraska Constitution should be amended to allow online sports gambling, and the second seeking voter approval to amend the Nebraska Racetrack Gaming Act for licensed casinos to conduct online sportsbooks.
Evnen confirmed that the constitutional amendment petition gathered “at least 138,473 valid signatures,” surpassing state-mandated rules for canvassing minimums. The statutory initiative related to gaming regulations also met the referendum criteria.
The Nebraska Secretary of State’s office will hold public hearings on these ballot measures in each of Nebraska’s three congressional districts, as well as produce an informational brochure about the ballot measures. The dates and locations of district hearings will be announced at a later date,” Evnen said.
FanDuel and DraftKings were major contributors to the online sports betting referendum, with each sportsbook providing $3.5 million to the campaign called Tax Relief Nebraska. BetMGM and WarHorse Gaming, LLC, Nebraska’s largest casino operator, also offered support.
Evnen’s certification followed Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen’s identification of over 13,000 potentially fraudulent petitions. Despite concerns in Lancaster County, the Tax Relief Nebraska campaign for online sports betting remained confident in meeting the signature thresholds.
Nebraska Sports Betting Rules
On November 3, 2026, Nebraskans will vote to authorize online sportsbooks through two questions.
If the ballot measures receive a simple majority, each racetrack casino can operate or partner with up to two online sportsbook platforms. The state will not conduct an open bid, instead allowing current casinos to form sportsbook partnerships.
Although not definite in the regulatory referendum, online sportsbooks are expected to be taxed at 20% of gross revenue. 70% of the proceeds would go to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund, benefiting homeowners with property tax credits.
Nebraskans approved the 2020 racetrack casino bill with the goal of reducing property taxes. Along with sports betting, a portion of casino revenue contributes to the state, with the majority allocated to residential property taxes.
In-State Ban Continues
Even if online sports betting is allowed in Nebraska, bets on games involving in-state colleges and universities will remain prohibited.
Nebraska’s sports betting law specifies that in-state collegiate sporting events involving a Nebraska team are excluded as authorized sporting events. This means that betting on Nebraska’s Cornhuskers will remain off-limits.