Two petitions aimed at legalizing sports betting in Nebraska have successfully met the necessary signature and county distribution requirements, and are set to appear on the general election ballot on November 3, as confirmed by the Secretary of State's office on Friday.
The office is tasked with certifying the complete ballot by September 11. The constitutional petition garnered a minimum of 138,473 valid signatures from 64 counties, while the statute petition collected 96,918 valid signatures from 55 counties.
If approved, the constitutional amendment would modify Article III, Section 24, allowing the state legislature to authorize and regulate online sports betting. Currently, the law mandates that bettors must be physically present in Nebraska to place a wager. The accompanying statute outlines the operational framework for this betting.
Under the proposed regulations, licensed gaming operators would be permitted to offer online sports betting either directly or via contracted platform providers. All servers would need to be situated within Nebraska, and each operator would be restricted to two platforms operated by different providers.
Both operators and platform providers would need to present their operational controls to the State Racing and Gaming Commission for approval. The commission is required to establish rules by June 1, 2027, while the statutory measure is set to come into effect on January 1, 2027.
Additionally, the proposal mandates that winnings must be verified against the state’s debt-collection system before they can be disbursed.
To qualify for a constitutional amendment, signatures must equal 10% of registered voters, with support from voters in at least 38 counties. For an initiated statute, 7% of registered voters statewide is required, along with the same county support.
Election officials ceased verification once each petition surpassed 110% of the necessary threshold, as allowed by state law.
Currently, Nebraska permits sports betting only at designated betting windows and kiosks within licensed racetracks. Bettors must be at least 21 years old, and mobile betting remains prohibited.
All neighboring states have legalized some form of sports wagering. Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Wyoming allow mobile betting statewide, while South Dakota restricts legal betting to casinos in Deadwood.
Previous legislative attempts to introduce mobile sports betting in Nebraska have not succeeded. A special-session package for 2024, including LR3CA and LB13, was postponed indefinitely. Last year, LR20CA advanced to the Select File but ultimately stalled, along with its companion bill LB421, which was also postponed in April.