Late Financial Push Supports Nebraska Sports Betting Initiative

• Nebraskans will determine the fate of online sports betting on Tuesday, Nov. 3
• Sports betting companies have donated more than $17.5 million to the Tax Relief Nebraska campaign
• DraftKings has led the way with more than $9.5 million in donations

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Millions of dollars in contributions have come into the Tax Relief Nebraska campaign over the last two weeks as the general election date moves closer to determine the legalization of online sports betting in the Cornhusker State.

Four sports betting companies have donated $17,575,000 in funds to Tax Relief Nebraska since July, according to campaign finance filings. The campaign led a signature collecting process this past year to successfully place two questions to legalize Nebraska online sports betting on the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election ballot.

In the last two weeks, DraftKings and Fanatics have donated nearly $3 million for the final push into the election.

State Legalization Opportunities Few and Far Between

Nebraska’s ballot questions likely pose the last chance for a state to legalize online sports betting in 2026, leading operators to focus their financial support and attention on the state.

From July 28, 2026, through Sept. 29, 2026, Tax Relief Nebraska received $14,650,000 in contributions. Both DraftKings and FanDuel contributed $7,037,500 each, while Roar Digital LLC (BetMGM) contributed $500,000 and Fanatics contributed $75,000.

The campaign has received nearly $3 million in donation from Sept. 30 through Oct. 19, 2026, with DraftKings contributing an additional $2.5 million and Fanatics contributing $425,000.

Operators have contributed the following since July 28:

• DraftKings: $9,537,500
• FanDuel: $7,037,500
• Fanatics: $500,000
• BetMGM: $500,000

Cleared Signature Requirements

Tax Relief Nebraska submitted affidavits stating that 201,446 signatures supporting the online sports wagering authorization constitution amendment and 146,509 signatures supporting the online sports wagering regulation initiative were collected.

The final signatures were submitted on Friday, June 26, six days ahead of the Thursday, July 2, deadline.

According to the Nebraska Secretary of State, Tax Relief Nebraska needed to collect at least 138,473 valid signatures to place the online sports wagering authorization constitutional amendment petition on the ballot. Additionally, the group needed to collect at least 96,918 valid signatures to place the online sports wagering regulation initiative petition on the ballot.

To also qualify for the ballot, a constitutional amendment petition requires valid signatures from at least 10% of registered voters in Nebraska and at least 5% of registered voters in 38 counties.

The Nebraska Secretary of State reported Tax Relief Nebraska met all of the requirements for both the constitutional amendment and the measure creating the regulatory framework for Nebraska online sports betting.

Nebraska Online Sports Betting Framework

The proposed constitutional amendment will earmark 70% of online sports betting tax revenues for a property tax credit fund in the state. The tax revenue disbursements are similar to Nebraska’s legal in-person sports betting market.

The referendum question will establish Nebraska’s online sports betting framework. It allows for licensed Nebraska gaming facilities to offer up to two online sports betting platforms each through either their own technology or a partnership with a gaming company, such as DraftKings or FanDuel. Sports betting rules and regulations will be required to be approved on or before June 1, 2027,

Tax Relief Nebraska commissioned a study from Eilers & Krejcik on the impact online sports betting may have on tax relief in the state. If legalized, Nebraska could see millions in additional revenue for property tax relief over the next five years.

According to Eilers & Krejcik, Nebraska projects to generate $86.6 million in gross gaming revenue in its first year of legalized online sports betting, which would increase to about $163.1 million in gross gaming revenue by year five.

The company projected these revenue estimates by observing gross gaming revenue-per-adult data from comparable markets, such as Kansas, Iowa, Kentucky, and Wyoming. These were adjusted for Nebraska-specific factors such as disposable income, sports interest, internet access, and a prohibition on sports betting involving Nebraska college teams.

The independent research firm estimate Nebraska would see nearly $87 million in total online sports betting tax revenues through the first five year of operation. About $60.9 million would be used for Nebraska property tax relief with the required 70% property tax relief allocation.

About $21.7 million would be used for the local share, $2.2 million for a compulsive gambling fund, and $2.2 million for the state’s general fund.