By Rhett Uleman
OMAHA Neb. – Petitioners can be found near crowded events, post offices and DMV’s around Omaha gathering signatures to put the question of statewide legalization of online sports betting on the ballot this November.
A coalition of casino owners led by WarHorse, Nebraska’s biggest casino operator, is backing those petitions, WarHorse’s Director of Government relations, Lynne McNally, says the effort could stop Nebraska residents from giving their gambling revenue to other states.
“Most people are using online platforms already. They’re disguising their location by using a virtual private network, so by using a VPN, most people are pretending that they’re in Iowa, for example. So Iowa is actually getting the majority of the tax revenue for the wagering that’s done in Nebraska online”
So far, in fiscal year 2026 Iowa has generated over 200 million in total sports betting revenue, with over 90 percent of that coming from online betting platforms. Those numbers suggest that legalization would significantly change how sports betting is practiced in the cornhusker state, as a majority of sports bets would be placed outside of the casino environment.
Legalizing online sports betting would change how Nebraskans engage with local sporting events, but some experts warn that more access to betting could increase the risk of addiction.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker Gina Fricke has been working with people addicted to gambling for over 23 years. She says that greater access can make gambling habits harder to control.
“if we were to pass a law that says that people can bet on their phones or through technology wherever they are in the state of Nebraska, then you could have a person sitting at family dinner placing a bet and distracted by the game.”
Warhorse has said that their goal is to gather at least 300,000 signatures, that amount would more than meet the requirement to secure ballot placement.
Petitioners have until July to gather enough signatures to place the issue on the general election ballot this November.
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