Casino operators and advocates in Nebraska are shifting their focus from the statehouse to the voters. They plan to start a petition drive to put mobile sports betting on the 2026 ballot.
WarHorse Casinos Spearhead Campaign to Put Online Betting Before Nebraska Voters in 2026
The campaign would ask Nebraska residents to approve a change to the state constitution. This change would allow people to place bets using their smartphones and other online platforms. To get the initiative on the ballot, organizers need to collect about 125,000 valid signatures. This number represents 10% of the state’s registered voters. Those backing the effort say people could start signing petition sheets in the next few weeks, reported Covers.
WarHorse Casinos in Omaha and Lincoln lead the charge in this industry push. WarHorse exec Lynne McNally said they started this to stop gambling money from going to other states. She pointed out that people already use tricks like VPNs or travel to Iowa and Colorado to bet, which means Nebraska misses out on millions in taxes.
Those who back this plan think legal online sports betting could bring in about $32 million each year for the state. They say a big chunk of this money would boost Nebraska’s property tax relief fund, just like how casino taxes work now.
The push for expanded gambling comes after a failed law earlier this year. A bill to allow betting beyond physical casinos made progress but stopped when critics blocked it. The bill’s supporters, including Sen. Eliot Bostar and Sen. Dunixi Guereca, had said that doing nothing would move the debate to a public vote.
Skeptics Say Social Costs May Outweigh Revenue From Online Gambling
Those against the idea remain wary, worried about the social impact of easy mobile access. Critics, like former coach and long-time gambling foe Tom Osborne, have said that young men might face higher chances of getting hooked, financial troubles, and related mental health problems. Some people doubt if the expected money will cut property taxes or make up for the possible downsides.
The fight in Nebraska mirrors similar struggles happening in other places. In Georgia, for example, politicians and business representatives are trying to bring back gambling proposals that have been stuck for a long time. They are doing this because of financial pressures and the success of nearby states in making money. North Carolina made $116 million in taxes from its first year of legal online sports betting, while Tennessee got more than $97 million last year.
People who support this in Nebraska use these examples to show that the state is lagging. They say that regulated online platforms would be safer than offshore companies and that voters, not politicians, should have the final say. Should the petition effort prove successful, Nebraska residents will confront the issue in November 2026. This might pave the way for online sports betting to become a reality just six years after voters gave the green light to casino gaming at racetracks.