Voters in Nebraska, Indiana and Virginia rejected ballot measures that would have expanded gambling, slowing the push for more casinos and online sports betting across the country.
In Nebraska, a proposal to legalize online sports betting through the state’s licensed racetrack casinos failed 54% to 45%. A companion measure to amend the state constitution failed by nearly the same margin. DraftKings and FanDuel gave $20.8 million of the $22.5 million raised by the committee supporting the measures.
In Indiana, voters in DeKalb, Allen and Steuben counties rejected a referendum that would have allowed a casino to seek a new license in the northeast part of the state. The measure failed 64.6% in DeKalb County, 59.6% in Allen County and 58.7% in Steuben County. Supporters argued the plan would bring in state tax revenue. Opponents warned about gambling addiction, bankruptcies, and crime.
In Virginia, voters in Amherst County and the town of Pulaski also rejected measures that would have allowed new satellite casino facilities in those communities. The defeats came as online sports betting and prediction-market platforms continue to grow quickly after a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision opened the way for more states to authorize sports wagering.
One study cited in the debate found that the number of states with operating sportsbooks grew from 1 in 2017 to 38 in 2024. Total sports wagers rose from $4.9 billion in 2017 to $121.1 billion in 2023, with 94% of 2023 wagers placed online. The same study found online searches for help with gambling addiction rose 23% nationally from 2018 to 2024, equal to 7.3 million searches.
Former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne and US Sen. Pete Ricketts opposed the Nebraska measure. Osborne and 45 current and former athletes and coaches warned that online sports betting would “undermine the integrity of college athletics” through unrestricted gambling and constant advertising.
