Online Sports Betting Measures Qualify for Nebraska November Ballot
The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office has revealed that two ballot measures aiming to regulate and legalize online sports betting in the state have surpassed the number of valid signatures required to appear on the 3 November ballot.
The first measure aims to amend the state Constitution to permit online wagering through the state’s six licensed racinos, whereas the second seeks to modify three existing laws to establish rules that would govern the online betting market.
Both measures, backed by Tax Relief Nebraska, exceeded the constitutional number of signatures needed for the ballot, giving Nebraska voters the opportunity to vote on sports betting in November. They also received support from at least 5% of voters in 38 out of the state’s 93 counties.
The first measure gained over 201,000 valid signatures, despite only needing 138,473, or 10% of the electorate at minimum, to qualify for the ballot.
Then, even though it only required at least 7% of the electorate or 96,918 valid signatures to qualify, the second measure received more than 146,000.
If approved, the state’s regulatory authority, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, would have until 1 June next year to implement the regulations.
