Nebraska Eyeing Constitutional Amendment to Legalize Online Sports Betting

• Nebraska sports betting supporters are likely to seek a constitutional amendment to legalize the form of gaming
• Nebraska Public Media reports supporters of sports betting will launch a petition to put a question on the state’s 2026 ballot
• Supporters will have to gather signatures of at least 10% of the state’s registered voters to place a question on the ballot

After years of failed Nebraska legislative efforts to legalize online sports betting, state voters are hoping to take the issue into their own hands for 2026.

According to a Nebraska Public Media report, supporters of online sports betting in the Cornhusker State are considering the launch of a signature petition drive to place a constitutional amendment question on the 2026 election ballot.

Legislation to legalize online sports betting was blocked by the Nebraska Senate earlier this year.

Voters Want Say on Nebraska Online Sports Betting

Nebraska currently allows retail sports betting at its brick-and-mortar casinos and taxes the game at a rate of 20%. However, over the last several years several legislators have floated bills to legalize online sports betting in the state through a constitutional amendment.

In March, the Nebraska Senate General Affairs Committee approved Sen. Eliot Bostar’s (D-29) legislation, LR20CA, by a 6-2 vote. The bill called for the legalization of online sports betting through a constitutional amendment. Bostar said Nebraska could expect an additional $32 million in total tax revenues over the next 2.5 years if legalized.

The Nebraska Senate approved Bostar’s legislation by a 27-16 vote in April, one of a necessary three to be legalized, but a second vote was eventually blocked by a filibuster. Detractors of online sports betting in the state warned of rising problem gaming rates and over promises of reduced property tax rates from gambling revenues.

Nebraska has a unique unicameral legislature, with legislation only having to pass through the Nebraska Senate before being sent to Gov. Jim Pillen (R) for his signature.

However, bills must be approved on three separate votes with two-thirds majority each time to be placed on a general election ballot.

After legislative failure, supporters of Nebraska online sports betting announced they will begin a petition drive to collect necessary signatures to place a referendum question on the state’s 2026 election ballot.

“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,” Lynne McNally of WarHorse Casinos, which operates in Omaha and Lincoln, said in the Nebraska Public Media report.

To be placed on the ballot, supporters will to gather signatures from at least 10% of the state’s registered voters. As of September 2025, Nebraska has 1,257,860 registered voters, which would require 125,786 certified signatures to place a referendum question on a ballot.

Legislators Warned of Referendum Question

Bostar noted in discussions of his online sports betting bill that members of the Nebraska casino industry indicated they would attempt a signature drive to place a question on the ballot if his bill was not approved.

This would be similar to the way Missouri legalized sports betting, as its sports franchises pushed their own voting referendum through the Show-Me State in 2024.

Bostar said Nebraska lawmakers would have more of a say as to how online sports betting is legalized if they approve their own crafted bill. Sen. John Cavanaugh (D-9) agreed with Bostar, noting during discussions that legalized sports betting gives him a considerable amount of “heartburn,” but the legislature should have control over what is placed on a ballot rather than Nebraska casinos.