DraftKings and FanDuel back $22.5m push for Nebraska mobile betting
Sportsbook operators have each contributed $10.4m to a Nebraska ballot campaign legalising mobile sports betting, as a $750,000 donation to a legislative candidate draws Republican criticism.
DraftKings and FanDuel have each put $10.4 million into Tax Relief Nebraska, the committee campaigning for two ballot measures that would legalise mobile sports betting in the state ahead of Tuesday's vote.
That spending accounts for almost all of the nearly $22.5 million the committee had raised by 29 October, according to campaign finance figures reported by the Nebraska Examiner. The committee has also taken donations from Fanatics and BetMGM, with much of the money going toward television advertising.
Nebraska currently allows sports betting only in person at licensed racetrack casinos. Supporters of the ballot measures argue that residents are instead crossing into neighbouring states, particularly Iowa, to bet on their phones, depriving Nebraska of tax revenue.
The ballot carries two linked questions: Initiative 440 would amend the state constitution to allow online wagering, while Initiative 441 would lay out the rules for running it, and both need voter approval to take effect. Licensed Nebraska racetrack casinos would serve as the gateway for mobile operators under the plan, with as many as 12 online platforms potentially allowed.
The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission would be required to adopt regulations by 1 June 2027. Under the proposal, seven in ten dollars of the resulting gambling tax take would be directed into a state property-tax relief fund, matching existing arrangements for casino taxes.
Campaign sponsor Jordan McGrain has argued that regulation would bring consumer protections alongside the tax benefit. Opponents dispute how much property-tax relief residents would actually see, and argue the financial gain would be modest set against the social costs of round-the-clock gambling access.
Save Nebraska Sports, the opposition campaign, has enlisted former Nebraska Cornhuskers football coach Tom Osborne along with other current and former athletes and coaches, who have warned of addiction, aggressive advertising and harassment of college players.
The spending has also drawn political scrutiny. On 27 October, the committee handed $750,000 to Republican legislative candidate Tim Anderson, who is running in central Nebraska's District 38 and whose campaign had previously raised about $95,000, according to News Channel Nebraska.
The donation led three senior Republicans to pull their backing for Anderson: US Senator Pete Ricketts, State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg and State Auditor Mike Foley all withdrew their endorsements. Advertisements promoting online sports betting are now running under his name.
State lawmakers had a chance to close the gap earlier this year but chose not to: Nebraska candidates can still buy advertising more cheaply than the committees campaigning for ballot measures.
If both initiatives pass, Nebraska would become the 33rd state to authorise mobile sports betting.