Nebraska voters rejected both ballot measures that would have authorised and regulated online sports betting. Unofficial returns showed Initiative 440 failing by 55% to 45%, while Initiative 441 was defeated by 54.5% to 45.5%.
Both measures needed to pass for mobile sports betting to become legal. Their defeat means wagering in the state remains limited to in-person bets at its five land-based casinos. The proposals would have required online operators to partner with an existing casino.
Campaign spending and market outlook
The campaign led by Tax Relief Nebraska was backed by casinos and online betting groups and exceeded $22 million. FanDuel and DraftKings were among the companies that spent more than $20 million supporting the initiatives. Supporters had argued that mobile betting could capture activity currently taking place illegally or across state lines and generate property-tax relief.
The result closes the near-term route to a mobile launch through these ballot questions. Operators and affiliates should not treat Nebraska as an available regulated online sports-betting market unless a new legislative or ballot route is established.