US midterm elections 2026 ballot measures to watch: Nebraska, Virginia, Indiana

The gambling industry has three state-level votes to watch on Election Day, with Nebraska the main one for sports betting. For PSPs, operators, and partners, the practical question is simple: which jurisdictions are opening, which are expanding, and where the licensing path still runs through local politics.

1. Nebraska: voters will decide on Initiatives 440 and 441, a paired constitutional and statutory push to legalise online sports wagering. Measure 440 would amend the constitution to allow the legislature to authorise online sports betting for operators connected to a licenced racetrack that offers wagering, while Measure 441 would give the Nebraska Gaming Commission the power to write the rules and regulate the market. Both measures need to pass for the system to go ahead.
2. The proposed setup keeps Nebraska’s racetrack-centred model in place. Licenced racetracks would be able to partner with online sports betting companies such as BetMGM or DraftKings, with each operator capped at two skins per operators. The proposals also require servers hosting the platforms to be located in Nebraska and direct the gambling commission to adopt sports wagering rules by 1 June 2027.
3. The statutory text also includes responsible-gambling controls and requires checks for outstanding state debt before winnings are paid. In other words, this is not just a “yes/no” vote on betting access; it is also a vote on the operating rules attached to that access.
4. Virginia: the state has two local votes that could clear the way for additional horse-racing wagering venues. The article does not name the jurisdictions involved, but the point for the industry is that local referendums can still determine whether new betting venues are able to move from concept to licence application.
5. Indiana: voters in three counties will decide which, if any, can pursue a licence for a new in-land casino. That makes the ballot question less about statewide policy and more about which county gets to enter the licensing queue for a physical casino project.

Nebraska’s effort has been on the political calendar for a while, with the amendment brought to the constitutional floor last year. At a legal betting hearing in Spring 2025, opponents argued against legalisation on addiction grounds, while supporters said legal betting would give law enforcement more tools to push back against the black market in Nebraska.