Nebraska Sports Betting Campaign Flush With Cash as Election Day Nears

The Nebraska sports betting campaign pushing to legalize online wagering is flush with cash with less than a month to go before Election Day. Scotts Bluff National Monument and a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail are pictured. The Nebraska sports betting campaign has millions to spend ahead of the Nov. 3 referendums. (Image: Shutterstock) Tax Relief Nebraska is behind Initiative Measures 440 and 441, proposed amendments to the Nebraska Constitution that would allow licensed sportsbooks to take bets over the internet. The committee was responsible for canvassing voters and submitting the necessary number of petitions to certify the referendum questions. With only 26 days remaining before Nebraskans decide if online sports betting should be permitted, Tax Relief Nebraska’s two primary backers, DraftKings and FanDuel, continue to pour money into the committee’s war chest. Finance disclosures from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission show each sportsbook contributed $3.5 million to the campaign between July 28, 2026, and Sept. 29, 2026. Each sportsbook had previously given matching contributions of $3,537,000. BetMGM also doubled its support, contributing another $250,000 to the campaign. Fanatics, which gave $75,000 in the prior reporting period, did not re-up. Campaign Countdown Tax Relief Nebraska has more than $5.42 million in cash on hand to spend over the final month. The campaign spent $2.29 million during the reporting period, with the bulk of the expenditures for media placement. Funds were also used for research and surveys, legal consulting, creative design services, and printing and postage. The Nebraska Family Alliance is the primary adversary to the online sports betting push. The faith-based organization, however, spent just $2,109 during the reporting period, with the receipts related to postage for its “Voter Guide” mailed to voters across the Cornhusker State. Property Tax Relief Tax Relief Nebraska needs a simple majority (50% plus one vote) to pass the sports betting referendums. If the electorate backs the questions, each racetrack casino in Nebraska would be allowed to operate or partner with up to two online sportsbooks. The arrangement means the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission would not conduct a competitive bid for online sportsbook licenses but instead give those powers to its licensed casino operators. Casino partnerships with sportsbooks would then apply for mobile sportsbook permits with the state gaming regulator. The measures would require that state tax revenue from online sports betting benefit homeowners with property tax credits. Currently, gross revenue from slot machines and table games is taxed at 20%, with 70% of the tax money allocated to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund. A study commissioned by Tax Relief Nebraska estimated that Nebraska would generate almost $87 million in new state tax revenue over the first five years of online sports betting. If 70% is directed to property tax relief, that would translate to roughly $61 million in homeowner relief. Regardless of the Nov. 3 outcome, bets on in-state college sports would remain on the sidelines. The post Nebraska Sports Betting Campaign Flush With Cash as Election Day Nears appeared first on Casino.org.