Campaigns for Legal Online Sports Betting Gain Ground in Nebraska

Moves to bring regulated online sports betting to Nebraska have reached a new stage after state officials gave the green light to the final text of two public petitions paving the way to start collecting signatures.

WarHorse Casinos-Backed Push Targets 2026 Online Betting Referendum

The push backed by operators like WarHorse Casinos, seeks to put the issue on the ballot for the 2026 general election. Those behind the campaign said petition circulators will show up across the state in the coming weeks. They plan to target busy spots, local events, and casino sites as they begin to drum up support, reported Nebraska Public Media.

A new plan aims to change Nebraska’s constitution to allow digital sports betting. Another proposal spells out the rules for how this would work, explaining how the state would watch over betting platforms and how the industry would run according to state law.

Most of the proposed wording keeps ideas that were talked about earlier in the campaign. Online betting services would need to link up with licensed casinos and use servers that are in Nebraska. Each casino could team up with at most two online platforms. The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission would be in charge of keeping an eye on things. They would have to approve how things are run and make the rules.

Petition Effort Aims to Let Nebraska Residents Decide on Online Betting

Sports betting is legal at casino sportsbooks in Nebraska, but gamblers must go to the venues to place bets in person. Those in favor say that bringing in mobile betting could update the market and keep gambling money inside the state instead of going to nearby areas.

To get on the ballot, organizers need to gather a lot of signatures. The amendment to the constitution needs support from about 10% of registered voters across the state, while the law change needs signatures from around 7%. Both efforts also have to show wide support, getting backing from at least 5% of voters in most Nebraska counties. They need to hand in the finished petitions by early July to meet voting deadlines.

The process has dragged on longer than people thought it would. Groups first turned in draft petitions at the start of January. The Nebraska Secretary of State sent back suggestions almost a month after that. This led to changes before they gave the go-ahead.If enough people sign the petitions, Nebraskavoters will get to choose if online sports betting becomes legal and how it works. The vote could be the next big change in gambling in the state. This follows the earlier approval for casino games at racetracks in the past few years.