Operators of casinos in Nebraska have introduced two initiatives aimed at legalizing online sports wagering within the state, as reported by the Lincoln Journal Star.

On Friday, petitions were submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office for the upcoming November ballot, stated Lynne McNally, the CEO of the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the director of government relations at WarHorse Casino. Backed by WarHorse and the Sports Betting Alliance, a national coalition of sports betting companies, the effort has garnered significant support.

The campaign consists of two distinct initiatives to adhere to Nebraska’s single-subject rule, according to McNally. The first initiative proposes a constitutional amendment that would permit online betting through casinos linked to licensed horse racing tracks. This arrangement would require national sports betting entities to associate with established casinos in Nebraska. Significantly, WarHorse, which operates in Lincoln and Omaha, already has partnerships in place with FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and several others, McNally noted.

To secure a spot on the ballot, organizers must collect signatures from roughly 10% of the registered electorate.

The second initiative aims to allocate tax revenue from online sports betting to the municipalities and counties where the bets are placed. This initiative requires signatures from 7% of Nebraska’s registered voters.

Both initiatives must also be backed by at least 5% of voters in 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties to be placed on the ballot.

The tax structure for online betting would be reflective of the state’s 20% casino tax, with the majority of the revenue designated for property tax relief, alongside smaller allocations for local governments, the general fund, and a program for assisting compulsive gamblers.

Nebraska casino operators had anticipated pursuing a ballot initiative following the legislature’s failure to advance their proposal in the prior session. Lincoln Senator Eliot Bostar had indicated plans to revive the measure this year, but McNally stated that pursuing a ballot petition was considered a more dependable method.

“Given the numerous issues arising during a 60-day session, we believed it would be impractical to solely rely on legislative advancement for the initiative to appear on this fall’s ballot,” McNally explained.

Casino operators are already accustomed to the ballot process. In 2020, voters approved three initiatives that legalized casino gambling in Nebraska. McNally asserted that the group is well-prepared to initiate signature collection.

Supporters are set to begin gathering signatures in the forthcoming weeks. “I’ll be covering a lot of ground in my car, informing Nebraskans of the benefits of supporting this initiative,” McNally concluded.