Nebraska Voters Could Decide Mobile Sports Betting in 2026

Nebraska casino operators are taking mobile sports betting straight to voters after another roadblock in Lincoln. A coalition led by WarHorse Gaming, with support from the Sports Betting Alliance, has started a statewide petition effort to place online sports betting on the November 3, 2026 ballot. The Nebraska Secretary of State approved both petition forms in February, and the filing deadline is July 3, 2026.

Good to Know

• Organizers say they are chasing 300,000 signatures as a safety buffer, even though the legal thresholds are lower.
• Nebraska needs two petitions for one result, a constitutional amendment and a companion law.
• If voters approve both in November 2026, regulators must finish online sports betting rules by June 1, 2027.

Nebraska Takes the Ballot Route for Mobile Sports Betting

After repeated trouble in the legislature, WarHorse Gaming and its allies are changing the playbook. Instead of waiting for another round of floor votes and filibusters, supporters are going county by county with petitions in all 93 counties. Organizers clearly think the ballot path gives Nebraska online sports betting a better shot, much like the route used in Missouri before mobile wagering cleared voters there in 2024.

The campaign is built around two linked measures. One petition would change the Nebraska Constitution so lawmakers can allow internet based sports wagering. The other would place the actual operating rules into statute. Nebraska law requires both to qualify, and both also need geographic spread, with signatures from at least 5% of voters in 38 of the 93 counties. The constitutional petition needs signatures equal to 10% of registered voters, while the statutory measure needs 7%.

Organizers are going well past that minimum. Reports tied to the campaign say the goal is 300,000 signatures, a cushion meant to deal with duplicates, bad entries, and other normal problems that come with large petition drives.

Supporters are also making a simple tax argument. Online sports bets already happen around Nebraska, just not on Nebraska regulated apps. That leaves money in Iowa, Kansas, and Colorado, or in some cases on offshore sites and other workarounds. Lynne McNally, government relations director at WarHorse Casinos, summed up that point clearly: “You’re allowing tax money to go to Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, just like with the casinos,” McNally said. The proposed law would tie every online sportsbook to a licensed Nebraska casino, require in state servers, and send most tax revenue to the Property Tax Credit Fund.

Lance Morgan has been leaning into that pitch as well. He has said mobile wagering could add about $3 million a month in state tax revenue, and campaign polling has shown roughly 70% public support, according to organizers. That line matters because Nebraska already used casino revenue to trim property taxes, including a reported $250 reduction in 2024 for a $200,000 home.

The ballot effort did not come out of nowhere. Sen. Eliot Bostar tried the legislative path with LR20CA. It cleared committee 6 to 2 and won a first floor vote 27 to 16, but a filibuster blocked a final third vote. Under Nebraska unicameral rules, that was enough to stop it. Once that happened, casino operators stopped waiting around.

If the measures pass, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission must write final rules by June 1, 2027. Each authorized gaming operator could run sports wagering through up to two online platforms, but every platform provider would need a deal with a licensed Nebraska racetrack casino. If all of that lines up quickly, Nebraska mobile sports betting could be ready around March Madness 2027.