Iowa Cornfield Could Lose Its Cache If Nebraska Betting Initiative Passes

The future of an Iowa cornfield as a popular betting destination may be jeopardized.

Multiple local media outlets reported Thursday that the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association are working on a digital sports betting ballot item. The initiative is not yet listed on the Secretary of State’s website as approved for signature gathering, but supporters say they want to start that process within a month.

Nebraska began offering in-person sports betting in June 2023, and it is now available at multiple WarHorse Casino locations. However, online betting is not permitted, and Nebraska’s betting law includes a provision that prohibits betting on the state’s collegiate teams when they play at home. Many Omaha and Lincoln residents have opted to cross the state’s eastern border into Iowa, where digital betting has been available since August 2019.

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Geolocation service GeoComply identified a cornfield as an improbable betting hotspot.

During March hearings on digital sports betting, GeoComply Senior Vice President Lindsay Slader stated that her company experienced a 63% increase in the amount of geolocation checks in Nebraska in 2024, including 3.9 million tries during the NFL season. Nebraska lawmakers explored a bundle of bills, but none gained traction, and the proposed constitutional amendment was eventually defeated by filibuster.

At the time, MPs expressed support for the idea of commercial operators covering the expense of an initiative rather than a referendum.

The proponent claims ‘gaming platforms’ are on board.

Lynne McNally, CEO of the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and head of government affairs for WarHorse Casinos, told KLIN News that “our partners, some of the gaming platforms, have decided that we will get signatures to put the constitutional amendment on the ballot.”

To appear on the ballot, proponents must collect approximately 120,000 valid signatures for a constitutional amendment and approximately 90,000 for supporting legislation—10% and 7%, respectively, of registered voters. The signatures must contain 5% of registered voters from 38 of the state’s 93 counties and must be submitted to the state by July 2, 2026.

WarHorse Gaming, LLC is a subsidiary of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the commercial arm of the Winnebago Tribe. Kambi manages the tribe’s sportsbooks, and no other commercial gaming companies are present in the state.

Tax benefits may not be as advertised.

Nebraska voters legalized sports betting in 2020, with 65% supporting a ballot proposition. At the time, it was unclear whether the effort encompassed digital betting. When politicians were tasked with interpreting the initiative and creating a law around it, they concluded that it did not.

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