Voters in three northeast Indiana counties rejected plans to permit an inland casino, while Nebraska's two online sports betting proposals were heading toward defeat in unofficial returns from the November 3 election. Both states had made the proposed gambling expansions dependent on voter approval.
Allen County voted against its casino question by 61,310 to 41,625, with 59.6% voting no, according to final unofficial local results reported by Fort Wayne broadcaster 21Alive.
The measure also failed in DeKalb County, where 64.6% opposed it and Steuben County, where 58.7% voted no. Each county voted separately on whether inland casino gambling should be permitted locally.
Indiana's 2026 legislation allowed the Indiana Gaming Commission to consider one inland casino license in a county that approved the question. Its application guidance says proposals could be accepted only from counties where voters consented.
With all three eligible counties voting no, the commission has no county in which to award the license under that process. The law also prevents a second public question in a county that rejected the proposal.
Nebraska's Secretary of State showed Measure 440 losing by 384,091 votes to 316,530 and Measure 441 losing by 381,080 to 319,487 in an update at 2:40 am Central Time on November 4.
The figures were explicitly unofficial: 1,056 of 1,322 precincts were fully reporting and another 252 had reported partially. Certification remained outstanding.
Measure 440 proposed a constitutional change allowing laws for online sports wagering. The companion Measure 441 would have established a statutory framework for operators linked to licensed racetrack casinos, with up to two online platforms per operator. Its tax provisions would have directed 70% of online wagering tax receipts toward property tax relief.
Nebraska currently permits sports wagers only in person at racetrack casinos. Voters approved casino gaming at licensed racetracks in 2020, and retail sports betting began in 2023.
The online proposals followed unsuccessful attempts to advance the issue through the state legislature, leaving the ballot as the route for the proposed expansion.
Nebraska certified the two online wagering measures in September, putting proposed constitutional and statutory changes on the November ballot. The unofficial returns now indicate both are unlikely to pass.
Indiana's proposed casino license carried a minimum $500m development commitment and a $150m licensing fee
