# Online Sports Betting Backers Submit Signatures for November Ballot **Published:** 2026-07-01T18:08:24.000Z **Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/07/01/backers-of-online-sports-betting-in-nebraska-submit-signatures-to-get-on-2026-ballot/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/online-sports-betting-backers-submit-signatures-for-november-ballot LINCOLN, Neb. — Supporters of online sports betting cleared a major hurdle Friday in their effort to bring the question before Nebraska voters, submitting more than 347,000 signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office ahead of a July 2 deadline. [The group Tax Relief Nebraska submitted 201,000 signatures for a petition seeking a constitutional amendment to legalize online sports betting, and roughly 146,000 signatures for a companion petition that would create the regulatory framework](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/07/01/backers-of-online-sports-betting-in-nebraska-submit-signatures-to-get-on-2026-ballot/), according to Lynne McNally, director of government relations for WarHorse casino. Both signature counts substantially exceed the minimum requirements. [The constitutional amendment petition required roughly 126,000 valid signatures](https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska_Online_Sports_Betting_Amendment_(2026)), while the regulatory petition needed about 88,000. Now the campaign awaits verification from all 93 Nebraska counties, a process expected to conclude by mid-September. [If certified, both measures will appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot](https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska_Regulate_Online_Sports_Betting_Initiative_(2026)). [Both initiatives must pass for online sports betting to become law](https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska_Regulate_Online_Sports_Betting_Initiative_(2026)). [Legalizing online sports betting has been a topic of debate in Nebraska for the past several years, with multiple attempts in the state Legislature failing to garner enough support to pass.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/07/01/backers-of-online-sports-betting-in-nebraska-submit-signatures-to-get-on-2026-ballot/) [Critics have long argued that the possible revenue benefits do not outweigh the social costs of the state effectively encouraging gambling.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/07/01/backers-of-online-sports-betting-in-nebraska-submit-signatures-to-get-on-2026-ballot/) McNally said the campaign submitted signatures without fanfare because many Nebraskans already engage in online gambling illegally. [If the initiatives qualify for the ballot, the group's next steps would be an informational campaign, with its main message being that legalizing online sports betting would keep tax revenues in Nebraska, rather than diverting them to other states where it's already legal.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/07/01/backers-of-online-sports-betting-in-nebraska-submit-signatures-to-get-on-2026-ballot/) [The Nebraska Family Alliance took aim at the campaign's claim that legalizing online sports betting would generate just under $87 million in new state tax revenue over five years.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/07/01/backers-of-online-sports-betting-in-nebraska-submit-signatures-to-get-on-2026-ballot/) The group's executive director, Nate Grasz, called the initiative "a complete sham" in a June 18 press release, arguing that the predicted tax relief would amount to less than 1 percent of property taxes. [According to state documents on Nebraska's gaming tax, the state's five casinos generated more than $52.3 million in tax revenue in 2025, with roughly $36.6 million of that going toward property tax credits.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/07/01/backers-of-online-sports-betting-in-nebraska-submit-signatures-to-get-on-2026-ballot/) [If both initiatives succeed on the ballot, online sports betting companies could partner with Nebraska's casinos to provide online gambling options. McNally said WarHorse has already contracted with several companies to do this, including FanDuel, DraftKings and MGM.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/07/01/backers-of-online-sports-betting-in-nebraska-submit-signatures-to-get-on-2026-ballot/) [A successful vote could lead to mobile sports betting launching in Nebraska by late 2026 or early 2027.](https://sportshandle.com/nebraska-online-sports-betting-2026-ballot/) According to polling data, [58% of likely voters support legalizing sports betting, with 31% opposed](https://brightsideofnews.com/gambling/nebraska-sports-betting-ballot-2026/). ## Sources - [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/07/01/backers-of-online-sports-betting-in-nebraska-submit-signatures-to-get-on-2026-ballot/) - [Ballotpedia - Nebraska Online Sports Betting Amendment (2026)](https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska_Online_Sports_Betting_Amendment_(2026)) - [Ballotpedia - Nebraska Regulate Online Sports Betting Initiative (2026)](https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska_Regulate_Online_Sports_Betting_Initiative_(2026)) - [Sports Handle - Nebraska Online Sports Betting Push Gains Momentum](https://sportshandle.com/nebraska-online-sports-betting-2026-ballot/) - [Brightside of News - Nebraska Sports Betting Ballot 2026](https://brightsideofnews.com/gambling/nebraska-sports-betting-ballot-2026/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/07/01/backers-of-online-sports-betting-in-nebraska-submit-signatures-to-get-on-2026-ballot/.