Nebraska voters say no to online sports betting

Nebraska voters rejected two initiatives that aimed to legalize online sports betting. With about 90 percent of the vote counted, unofficial results showed that roughly 55 percent of voters said no to both proposals. For the campaign, which was built on the promise of lowering property taxes and backed by the industry, this was a setback.

Initiative 440 would have amended the state constitution to give the legislature authority to allow online sports betting. Initiative 441 would have regulated that betting directly through state law. In Nebraska, sports betting is currently allowed only in person at racetrack casinos.

DraftKings and FanDuel contributed more than 20 million dollars to the campaign. BetMGM and Fanatics also provided financial support for the initiative. When progress stalled in the legislature, Tax Relief Nebraska gathered signatures and brought the issue directly to voters. Under the proposal, 70 percent of the revenue would go to property tax relief. Supporters aimed to collect tax revenue from wagers placed in Iowa and other bets that leave Nebraska's borders.

In the opposing campaign, State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg and State Auditor Mike Foley spoke out against the proposal in advertising. 45 current and former Cornhuskers athletes and coaches, including former coach Tom Osborne, signed a letter opposing the measures. Opponents argued that betting by phone would increase exposure to gambling and that the expected tax savings were too small to justify that expansion.

In Texas, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick lost to Vikki Goodwin, even though he is known as one of gambling's most prominent opponents. Goodwin supports putting casino and sports betting before voters. Las Vegas Sands spent millions on efforts to legalize casinos in Texas. In the governor's race, Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Greg Abbott. Hinojosa voted against a sports betting change in 2023, but her current position is not known.