DraftKings and FanDuel add another $7M to Nebraska campaign, raising total to $14.65M

DraftKings and FanDuel each contributed $3.5 million to Tax Relief Nebraska between late July and 29 September, raising the committee’s haul to $14.65 million to fund two sports-betting ballot measures on 3 November 2026. The committee registered against the measures, Save Nebraska Sports, reported no receipts or expenditures in filings processed by that date, according to Ballotpedia.

I write as Renata Quiroga, betting markets correspondent. This report compiles public campaign filings and the official initiative texts that affect Nebraska’s betting structure, together with immediate regulatory and political implications.

What Measures 440 and 441 cover and how they would change the market

The Nebraska Secretary of State certified both petitions on 21 August 2026, with at least 138,473 valid signatures for the constitutional amendment (Measure 440) and 96,918 for the statutory law (Measure 441). Measure 440 would authorize the law to permit wagering via internet platforms offered by a gaming operator at a licensed Nebraska racetrack. Measure 441 contains the legal text:

• each racetrack operator may employ up to two platforms operated by platform providers;

• servers must be located in Nebraska;

• the State Racing and Gaming Commission must adopt rules by 1 June 2027;

• the law would take effect on 1 January 2027.

The measures exclude in-play betting and player props on any collegiate game involving a Nebraska team. With six licensed racetracks, the model would allow up to 12 online sportsbooks.

Who is funding the pro campaign: figures and sources

Ballotpedia shows $7,037,500 reported from DraftKings (giving as DK Crown Holdings) and $7,037,500 from FanDuel through 29 September. In the same period, Roar Digital — the BetMGM joint venture between MGM Resorts and Entain — added $250,000, bringing its total to $500,000, and FBG Enterprises Opco (Fanatics) had contributed $75,000. Those four operators sum to the $14.65 million reported by Tax Relief Nebraska.

The committee spent about $2.29 million in the period — mainly on media buys — and reports $9.22 million spent year-to-date, leaving roughly $5.42 million in the bank entering the final stretch of the campaign, according to GamblingNews and Ballotpedia. The next campaign filings are due on 26 October, one week before the vote.

The opposition front and the resource asymmetry

Save Nebraska Sports, the committee registered against the measures, reported no contributions or expenditures in filings processed through 29 September. The Nebraska Family Alliance reported $2,109 spent in the period, mostly on mail for a voter guide. The official pamphlet names former coach and public figure Tom Osborne among opponents, along with two state officials and a Huskers assistant coach.

Opponents argue in the pamphlet that the measures would turn “every phone into a casino.” Proponents, including operator WarHorse (which runs the Omaha and Lincoln casinos), say the reform would dedicate more than $166 million to property tax relief over ten years, since 70% of wagering tax revenue would go to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund.

Studies and fiscal projections cited

The committee commissioned Eilers & Krejcik Gaming for a study that projects nearly $87 million in state taxes over five years, of which roughly $61 million would fund tax relief, according to the Nebraska Examiner. The campaign uses that figure to support its fiscal claim; the official pamphlet also cites the $166 million ten-year figure used in campaign materials.

Regulatory risk: foreign-ownership complaint and the legal framework for funding

The Legal Accountability Center filed a complaint in August with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission (NADC) alleging foreign ownership of FanDuel and Roar Digital, noting that their parent companies are based in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Michael Teter, the group’s executive director, said US subsidiaries could qualify if decisions and funds were domestic. WarHorse dismissed the concerns as “based entirely in fantasy.” The NADC has kept the complaint confidential and it is unknown whether there will be a resolution before 3 November. Nebraska prohibits initiative committees from accepting funds directly or indirectly from foreign nationals; the Legislature tightened that ban and increased penalties in 2026.

“US subsidiaries could still qualify if the money and the decision were domestic,” Michael Teter said in the filing, according to public records.

What prior experience shows: Missouri 2024 and lessons for Nebraska

In Missouri, the 2024 pro-amendment campaign Winning for Missouri Education raised $45.6 million, with $20.3 million from DraftKings and $20.3 million from FanDuel, and it won by 2,961 votes. The opposition there raised $14.2 million, almost all from three Caesars-owned casino companies. Nebraska’s structure differs: local racetracks back the measures and are not large funders of the “no” campaign, leaving a clear financial disadvantage for opponents.

What the operators’ bet implies

Operators have put in enough money to signal they value a regulated Nebraska market beyond immediate fiscal projections. Residents already place bets with books in neighboring states or in unofficial markets; a licensed market with up to 12 platforms represents control, customer access and a regulated alternative to cross-border flows. The 3 November vote will show whether operators’ financial advantage outweighs an opposition campaign with limited resources.