Nebraska Pushes for Online Sports Betting Through Petition Drive

Casino owners and sports betting operators in Nebraska have begun circulating a petition to legalize online sports wagering. The goal is to collect enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot for voters to decide after efforts in the Legislature have come up short in recent years. Warhorse Casino CEO Lance Morgan told local media, “We need signatures from 5% of the people who voted in the last election. That number, so if 100 people voted you need five, but you need it from 38 counties.”

Nebraska legalized sports betting in 2021, but that didn’t include mobile wagering. There are actually two petitions now circulating, one for a constitutional amendment and also a statutory petition to change gaming regulations. Organizers seem hopeful that they can gather enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot, with a goal of 300,000. Morgan believes legalizing mobile sports betting could add $3 million per month to state coffers.

Last year, Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed an executive order that granted more tax relief after the state saw an increase in casino gambling tax revenue. Nebraska legalized commercial casinos in 2020 after residents overwhelmingly approved legalization through a ballot initiative. The state also houses five tribal properties. Supporters projected that additional casino options could generate $45.5 million in annual property tax relief. WarHorse Casino in Lincoln became the first commercial casino, opening in September 2022.