A petition that would send the decision of whether or not to legalize online sports betting to voters was posted on the Nebraska secretary of state’s website late Thursday as approved for circulation. This means that the commercial operators backing the proposal can begin collecting signatures needed to get it on the Nov. 3 ballot.
The proposal, filed Jan. 9, calls for amendments to the state’s sports betting law to include statewide online sports betting on platforms tethered to an existing “authorized gaming operator.” If approved, the initiative would allow licensed retail locations to offer up to two skins, or digital platforms, and would require that all digital bets flow through servers located in Nebraska. The proposal would require the state gaming regulator to promulgate rules by June 1, 2027, which is seven months after the November election.
When voters approved the last gambling expansion in November 2020, it was 2½ years before the first retail sportsbook opened. At that time, there was some question as to whether sports betting was included in the initiative, which legalized games of chance. Sports betting is often defined as a game of skill, but lawmakers ultimately deemed it a game of chance.
Signatures will be due in July
Seven states have approved some kind of sports betting by initiative, including Arkansas (2018), Colorado (2019), Louisiana (2020), Maryland (2020), and Missouri (2024). As of Friday, Nebraska is the only state in which an initiative petition for the 2026 ballot is circulating.
Initiative sponsors have until four months before the election to collect signatures, meaning signatures will be due in early July. The state then has up to 50 days to verify signatures and put an initiative on the ballot. There are currently 11 petitions that have been approved for circulation.
Proponents must gather qualified signatures from 7% of registered voters for an initiative and 10% for a constitutional amendment. In addition, qualified signatures from 5% of registered voters in 39 of the state’s 93 counties are required. According to the SOS site, 1,254,120 voters were registered in the state as of Jan. 1.
