Pro Sports Betting Forces Heavily Funding Nebraska Election
David Genge Published 02/11/2026
Forces in favor of Nebraska legalizing online sports betting are backing pro-sports-betting candidates with significant funding as the November 3 midterm elections loom. Major US online sports betting sites have donated more than $14.5 million to organizations that are spreading the message of sports betting legalization to the public. At the head of the list is Tax Relief Nebraska. That's the organization that put together the successful petition enabling an online sports betting legalization referendum to be added to the November 3 ballot.
Funds raised from the online sportsbooks are being earmarked for candidates in Nebraska state elections who have indicated that they would be in favor of legalizing online sports betting in the state.
The largest campaign contribution ever made to a Nebraska legislative candidate
Exactly one week before Nebraskans go to the polls, Tax Relief Nebraska made a $750,000 contribution to the campaign of legislative candidate Tim Anderson. According to reporting by Rural Radio, that's believed to be the largest individual contribution to a Nebraska Legislative campaign in history.
Anderson is currently the mayor of Sutton, Nebraska. He is running as a non-partisan candidate for the Nebraska State Senate in District 38. He indicated that he was taking the funding because property tax relief is a staple of his campaign promises. Tax Relief Nebraska is proposing that revenue gained from the legalization of online sports betting be directed toward property tax relief.
High-Profile Nebraska Republicans are dropping their support of Anderson over this issue
However, Anderson's acceptance of the campaign contribution didn't sit well with some Nebraska politicians who were supporting him. Several high-profile Republicans are pulling their support of Anderson's campaign over this decision.
Reporting by Nebraska TV News indicates that Save Nebraska Sports, an advocacy group opposing the legalization of sports betting, announced that U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg, and State Auditor Mike Foley withdrew their endorsements of Anderson after learning he accepted $750,000 from Tax Relief Nebraska.
The group issued a collective statement. "We are disappointed that Tim Anderson chose to support online sports betting rather than protecting our young people and college sports," it read.
Ricketts is claiming that pro-sports betting advocates are overrating the promised tax relief. He believes the impact will be minimal for state residents.
“What you’re being sold with this online sports gambling bill," Ricketts told NTV. "It’s not really real. It amounts to about a dollar a month if you own a $250,000 home. Nebraskans would have to lose $800 million in gambling losses to pay for that."
Anderson countered that he was running for election to find tax relief for Nebraskans. He's willing to listen to both sides of the issue.
“Those guys are great leaders for the state of Nebraska," Anderson said. "I just want to hear both sides of this topic so that I can make the best decision possible and look for ways to provide property tax relief.
"That was one of my main goals and one of the reasons getting to the legislature was to provide actual tax relief to people struggling and on fixed incomes.”
Plenty of sportsbook money backing election candidates in the Cornhusker State
The major U.S. online sportsbooks are also major contributors to the election campaign. Campaign finance filings show that four online sports betting sites have contributed nearly $18 million to Tax Relief Nebraska.
DraftKings is leading the way. The online sportsbook has contributed $9.5375 million. Running a close second is FanDuel. That sports betting site has given $7.0375 million to Tax Relief Nebraska. Fanatics and BetMGM have each contributed $500,000.
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