DraftKings and FanDuel Push Nebraska Sports Betting Ballot to $14.65m

DraftKings and FanDuel each donated $3.5 million to Tax Relief Nebraska in the latest reporting period, taking the committee's fundraising to $14.65 million for two online sports-betting measures on the 3 November 2026 ballot. The filings processed to 29 September show each operator at $7,037,500 in total contributions; the next campaign finance reports are due on 26 October, a week before the vote.

Who funded the push and how much they have spent

DK Crown Holdings (the DraftKings vehicle) and FanDuel each supplied $3.5 million between late July and 29 September, according to Ballotpedia's processing of campaign reports. Roar Digital, the BetMGM joint venture of MGM Resorts and Entain, added $250,000 in the period to reach $500,000 overall. Fanatics' FBG Enterprises Opco had previously contributed $75,000. Those four operators account for the entire $14.65 million reported by Tax Relief Nebraska.

The committee's filings show about $2.29 million spent in the latest reporting period, primarily on media placement. Ballotpedia records total spending of $9.22 million for the year and cash on hand of approximately $5.42 million heading into the final five weeks.

Save Nebraska Sports, the committee registered against the measures, had reported no contributions or expenditures through 29 September. The Nebraska Family Alliance spent $2,109 in the reporting period, largely on postage for a voter guide.

What the ballot measures would change and operational limits for operators

The Nebraska Secretary of State certified both petitions on 21 August 2026 after validations that counted at least 138,473 valid signatures for the constitutional amendment and 96,918 for the statute. Initiative Measure 440 would amend the state constitution to allow Internet-based wagering offered by a gaming operator at a licensed racetrack. Initiative Measure 441 would enact the enabling statute and set the operational framework.

Measure 441's provisions in the Secretary of State's voter pamphlet include:

• each racetrack operator may partner with no more than two platforms run by platform providers; up to 12 online sportsbooks in total given six licensed racetracks

• sportsbook servers must be located in Nebraska

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

• the act would take effect on 1 January 2027

• in-state college games involving a Nebraska team are excluded, as are in-game and individual player bets on any college game that features a Nebraska team

Supporters note that 70% of wagering tax would go to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund and that more than $166 million could be routed to property tax relief over ten years, a claim printed in the voter pamphlet. The campaign's commissioned study by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming projected just under $87 million in state tax over five years, of which about $61 million would be for property tax relief.

Opposition, the legal complaint and a sparse no campaign

The publicly visible opposition is limited. Save Nebraska Sports had reported no fundraising or spending to 29 September, leaving opponents with a small budget and high-profile names rather than cash. Former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne is listed as an opponent in campaign materials. The Nebraska Family Alliance and a handful of statewide figures are named among those opposing the measures.

A complaint filed in August to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission by the Legal Accountability Center challenges the foreign ownership profiles of FanDuel and Roar Digital, arguing their parent companies' leadership sits in Ireland and the UK. The complaint remains confidential; the commission's proceedings and whether it will act before 3 November are unknown. WarHorse, which operates the Omaha and Lincoln casinos and supports the measures, called the concerns "based entirely in fantasy."

Nebraska law now bars ballot committees from accepting funds directly or indirectly from foreign nationals and the Legislature strengthened those limits and increased fines in 2026. Whether a commission finding would affect the vote is a live legal and political risk.

Why the operators are spending and how past votes compare

Operators clearly view a licensed Nebraska market as valuable. The article's financial detail shows DraftKings and FanDuel each over $7 million in contributions, and the scale of their investment suggests strategic interest beyond direct tax projections.

Missouri provides a recent template: in 2024 DraftKings and FanDuel each gave $20.3 million to the campaign Winning for Missouri Education, which prevailed by 2,961 votes out of nearly three million cast. That campaign raised $45.6 million in total, while the opposition in Missouri raised about $14.2 million, largely from Caesars-owned companies. In Nebraska, local racetrack casinos are aligned with the yes campaign rather than funding the no side, leaving the opposition with far less financial firepower.

Market mechanics for operators and what to watch next

If both measures pass, the model grants licenses to the state's racetrack casinos and allows each to contract with up to two platform providers. That structure makes casinos allies of operator-backed campaigns; it also caps platform numbers and requires in-state server infrastructure, which operators must plan for.

Watch the 26 October filings for any late movement in spending or new donors. The status of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission complaint is also material: a finding against a major operator could complicate implementation if the measures pass.

"US subsidiaries could still qualify if the money and the decision were domestic," said Michael Teter of the Legal Accountability Center, arguing the commission should examine ownership and control.

The financial numbers and legal questions mean Nebraska's vote will test whether operator-funded campaigns can secure approval in a state where the opposition has limited cash but named figures and organised messaging.