Nebraska to Hold Public Vote on Mobile Sports Betting

Nebraska voters will decide on November 3 whether mobile sports betting will be legalized statewide. More than $22.5 million has been donated to the campaign. DraftKings and FanDuel provided most of the donations, with each company giving about $10.4 million.

Donations picked up in October. DraftKings added $2.5 million on October 13, and FanDuel added $2.5 million on October 22. Fanatics gave $600,000, and BetMGM had previously donated $500,000. The campaign group Tax Relief Nebraska spent about $15.8 million, of which more than $5 million went to television advertising and promotion.

The ballot includes two initiatives, 440 and 441, and both must be approved. Initiative 440 amends the constitution to give the legislature the authority to permit online sports betting. Initiative 441 sets the regulatory framework for the new market. Under the proposed system, each of the state's six gaming facilities could operate with up to two online platforms.

The proposal includes a 20 percent tax on gross gaming revenue, and 70 percent of the tax collected will be set aside to ease the property tax burden. If the constitutional amendments are approved, they will take effect on January 1, 2027. Among those opposing the initiative is the Save Nebraska Sports group, which includes former Cornhuskers coach Tom Osborne.