A petition drive to add online sports betting to the Nebraska 2026 ballot has been gaining momentum from gambling advocates. If successful, the citizen-led campaign would seek to amend the state constitution and allow Nebraskans to wager from smartphones and other devices rather than traveling to casinos, crossing state lines, or using offshore sites.
Key Takeaways
- A citizen petition for online sports betting to be added to the 2026 ballot has become increasingly popular
- Supporters allege that $32 million in gambling tax revenue can be gained a year from legalizing sports betting
- The petition needs 125,000 signatures to get added to the 2026 ballot
Earlier in the year, a proposal to legalize sports betting failed after a filibuster. Nebraskans who want to bet on sports continue to do so by either going to a casino, crossing state lines, or doing so illegally.
Lynne McNally of WarHorse Casinos, which operates in Omaha and Lincoln, said the drive was an effort to keep tax dollars in Nebraska.
“The bottom line is, you're allowing tax money to go to Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, just like with the casinos. People are using VPNs, and they're disguising their location, pretending they're in Iowa,” McNally said.
Supporters point to an estimated $32 million in annual tax receipts Nebraska could collect if mobile wagering were legalized. To qualify a constitutional amendment for the ballot, organizers must collect signatures from 10% of registered voters, which amounts to 125,000 valid names.
Last attempt stalled in Legislature
The petition campaign follows the collapse of Legislative Resolution 20CA, a constitutional amendment that would have placed online sports betting before voters in November 2026. The measure advanced out of committee but ran into a filibuster on the floor and was withdrawn after leaders concluded it lacked the votes to survive extended debate.
Proponents, including Sen. Dunixi Guereca, argued the Legislature’s failure underscored the need for a citizen initiative. They warned Nebraska was forfeiting revenue to neighboring states and an expanding $1.6 billion national online industry.
But opponents mounted a sustained campaign focused on social harms.
Longtime gambling critic and former coach Tom Osborne warned that easy mobile access could increase addiction, financial hardship, and mental-health problems, particularly among younger men, and many senators echoed this theme during hours of floor debate.
Georgia sees momentum in a parallel betting fight
Meanwhile, across the country, Georgia is gearing up for its own gambling fight for 2026, and proponents are optimistic. For over a decade, casinos and sports betting proposals have stalled, but industry lobbyists and lawmakers argue that the state’s fiscal pressures make legalization more attractive.
Advocates also point to nearby examples: North Carolina’s first year of legal online sports betting produced about $116 million in tax revenue, while Tennessee, limited to online wagering, reported $97.1 million last year and projects higher receipts this year.
Industry analysts note that casinos generate far more revenue than sports betting, but both capture out-of-state dollars and create jobs.
Opposition remains strong from faith-based groups and critics who say expanded gambling raises crime, addiction, and family hardship. Proponents counter that regulated sportsbooks better protect consumers than offshore operators and that the ultimate decision should rest with voters.
