Tax Relief Nebraska says it is confident its online sports betting petitions will reach the Nov. 3 ballot, even after Nebraska election officials flagged potentially fraudulent signatures collected during the campaign’s signature drive.
The organization has collected nearly 350,000 signatures, which would give voters a chance to legalize Nebraska sports betting, with a regulation and tax framework in place.
Sports betting is legal in Nebraska, but only at in-person racetrack casinos.
Election official flags potential fraud
Todd Wiltgen, Lancaster County Election Commissioner, claimed potentially fraudulent signatures had been reported to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office and the county sheriff, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.
Tax Relief Nebraska told the outlet it has not heard from the Lancaster County Election Commissioner or the county sheriff.
“We remain very confident that we submitted enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot, and if any circulator was found to have committed fraud, they should be identified and prosecuted,” Tax Relief Nebraska sponsor Jordan McGrain said. “Our goal is to collect signatures to get on the ballot, so fraud doesn’t help anybody.”
Signature totals clear both thresholds
The petitions were filed in January and approved for circulation in February. Both petitions cleared their thresholds by a wide margin.
The constitutional amendment petition regarding the legality gathered more than 201,000 signatures, above the roughly 126,000 required. The regulatory and tax framework petition gathered 146,000 signatures, above the roughly 88,000 required.
The signatures were turned in on July 2, ahead of the deadline.
FanDuel and DraftKings have been instrumental in helping the cause, raising more than $1 million for the ballot campaign.
What the measure would do
Putting online sports betting on the ballot would give Nebraska a chance to legalize it, and collect tax dollars for the state. It would allow racetracks to partner with up to two online operators.
If approved at the ballot, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission would need to adjust the state’s gambling rules on or before June 1, 2027.
The previous ballot push in 2025 did not come to fruition after a failed legislative attempt.
