Nebraska Voters Poised to Reject Both Online Sports Betting Measures

LINCOLN, Nebraska – Voters appear set to reject two ballot measures that would legalize online sports betting in Nebraska following the November 3 election. Unofficial results show majorities opposing both proposals, leaving the state’s existing in-person sports wagering restrictions unchanged if the outcome is confirmed.

Initiative Measures 440 and 441 sought to authorize statewide mobile sports betting and establish a regulatory and taxation framework. Both measures were trailing as vote counting continued on November 4, despite a campaign backed by major gambling operators and Nebraska racetrack casinos.

Nebraska Online Sports Betting Measures Trail in Election Results

According to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s unofficial election results, both measures were heading toward defeat in the early November 4 count. Approximately 55% of votes counted opposed Measure 440, while around 54% opposed Measure 441.

The state’s election dashboard showed 1,057 of 1,322 precincts fully reporting, with another 252 reporting partially, as of 2:45 a.m. Central Time on November 4. The results remain unofficial, and additional ballots must be counted before certification.

Measure 440 proposed amending the Nebraska Constitution to allow the Legislature to authorize online sports wagering through licensed racetrack casino operators. Measure 441 would establish the accompanying legal framework, including regulatory oversight by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission.

The proposals were designed to operate together, meaning both needed approval for the planned online betting market to proceed.

Under the proposed system, online sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel would have needed partnerships with licensed Nebraska racetrack casinos. Operators would also have been required to maintain their wagering servers within the state.

Nebraska currently permits sports wagering only at physical sportsbooks inside its five operating racetrack casinos. Residents cannot legally place mobile sports bets from elsewhere within the state.

Campaign Promised Property Tax Relief from Online Betting

The measures were promoted by Tax Relief Nebraska, a campaign supported by gambling industry interests seeking to expand the state’s existing sports betting market.

The group submitted more than 201,000 signatures in June for the proposed constitutional amendment and approximately 146,000 for the accompanying regulatory initiative. Both petitions qualified for the November ballot.

Supporters argued that Nebraska was losing potential tax revenue to neighboring states, particularly Iowa, where residents can place online sports bets legally. They also pointed to Nebraskans crossing state borders to access mobile sportsbooks and attempting to use betting platforms unavailable within Nebraska.

The proposed framework included a 20% tax on online sports betting revenue, with 70% of the resulting tax proceeds directed toward property tax relief. Campaign estimates suggested that legalization could generate substantial additional revenue over several years, although those projections depended on future betting activity.

WarHorse Casino, which operates gambling properties in Lincoln and Omaha, supported the campaign. Following the early results, Lynne McNally, the company’s director of government relations, expressed disappointment that Nebraska could miss an opportunity to regulate and tax online betting activity.

McNally argued that residents were already participating in online gambling and that a regulated market would allow the state to collect tax revenue while introducing additional consumer protections.

Opponents Raise Gambling Harm Concerns as Expansion Stalls

The proposed expansion faced opposition from Save Nebraska Sports, a coalition that questioned the promised property tax benefits and warned about the potential effects of widespread mobile betting access.

Nebraska Family Alliance Executive Director Nate Grasz argued that the measures primarily benefited gambling companies rather than local families. Opponents also raised concerns about gambling addiction, younger adults and the potential financial consequences of easier access to betting applications.

The campaign attracted scrutiny over its funding. FanDuel and Roar Digital, an MGM subsidiary, contributed more than $3.5 million combined to Tax Relief Nebraska, according to campaign finance reporting. A separate complaint requested an investigation into whether some contributions complied with state campaign finance laws.

The November vote follows earlier unsuccessful attempts to authorize online sports betting through the state Legislature. Nebraska lawmakers had previously considered mobile sports betting legislation that would expand wagering beyond physical racetrack casinos.

If the latest results stand, Nebraska’s five operating racetrack casinos will remain the state’s only authorized locations for sports wagering. The proposed online licensing system and associated tax relief provisions will not take effect.

The Secretary of State is scheduled to receive county vote abstracts by November 23, with statewide certification expected on November 30. Until then, the outcome remains subject to the completion of counting and the official canvass.

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