The operators behind four of the nation’s largest online sportsbooks have now contributed more than $5.6 million toward a Nebraska ballot effort that would legalize statewide mobile sports betting, according to newly filed campaign finance disclosures and proposed ballot language outlining how the market would operate.
Key Takeaways
- FanDuel and DraftKings are aggressively funding Nebraska’s mobile sports betting push ahead of a potential 2026 vote.
- The proposed framework would create a tightly controlled online market tied to Nebraska’s five racetrack casinos, with room for as many as 10 sportsbook brands statewide.
- Nebraska is the only state actively pursuing mobile sports betting legalization in 2026, highlighting how expansion efforts have slowed nationally after the post-PASPA boom.
The latest filing from the Tax Relief Nebraska committee showed another $3 million raised during April, with $1.5 million coming from each of FanDuel and DraftKings. With the April contributions, the two U.S. sports betting market share leaders have each contributed $2.66 million to support the measure.
BetMGM has chipped in $250,000 since the campaign began earlier this year and Fanatics has added $75,000.
The latest disclosures underscore the scale of spending already underway in the ballot effort. Tax Relief Nebraska reported nearly $1.74 million in expenditures during April alone, with more than $1.63 million directed toward petitioning operations.
The committee reported more than $1.5 million cash on hand at the end of April, indicating operators are likely preparing for an extended and potentially expensive statewide campaign heading into a potential November 2026 vote. The campaign must submit the required voter signatures by July 3.
If approved by voters, the statutory framework would take effect Jan. 1, 2027, with Nebraska regulators required to adopt implementing rules for online sports wagering platforms by June 1, 2027.
Ballot measure details
The campaign seeks voter approval for both a constitutional amendment and a companion statutory measure that together would authorize online sports betting throughout Nebraska. The constitutional amendment would explicitly permit laws authorizing “sports wagering through the Internet” when bets are placed within Nebraska through licensed gaming operators.
The companion statute would establish the operational framework for the state’s online market, including licensing, platform allocation, geolocation requirements and regulatory oversight.
Under the proposed language, only existing authorized gaming operators tied to Nebraska’s five racetrack casinos would be permitted to offer online wagering. Each authorized gaming operator could partner with as many as two separate online sportsbook platform providers, meaning there could be as many as 10 mobile sportsbooks.
In April, FanDuel and DraftKings each contributed $1.5 million to a campaign to place a Nebraska mobile sports betting authorization measure on the 2026 ballot, per finance report
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) May 12, 2026
Current law allows in-person sportsbooks at state casinos. If the amendment is passed, online wagering is expected to make up more than 95% of the state’s betting handle.
The statutory language also outlines several restrictions on wagering involving in-state college teams. Bettors would be prohibited from placing wagers on individual athlete performances involving Nebraska collegiate teams. Live in-game betting on contests involving in-state schools would also be barred.
The University of Nebraska athletic teams, especially football, are typically the most popular in the state. Creighton University’s men’s basketball team is also a perennial NCAA Tournament contender.
National implications
Nebraska is the only state considering mobile sports betting legalization in 2026. Missouri was the most recent state to approve sports betting, via a 2024 ballot measure, and the latest to take a legal bet when wagering began Dec. 1, 2025.
The Supreme Court struck down the federal wagering ban in May 2018, sparking more than 30 states to approve sports betting between 2018 and 2023. Legalization efforts have stalled in the remaining jurisdictions, underscored by the unsuccessful efforts in statehouses in recent years.
Nebraska’s casinos, along with the third-party sportsbooks, have led the ballot measure effort after a legislative push in the state legislature failed. Nebraska voters approved brick-and-mortar casino gaming in 2020.
