US midterms bring mixed outcomes for gambling: Nevada and Ohio flip, Nebraska online betting measure fails

Democrats made broad gains in Tuesday's US midterm elections, taking control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. According to iGaming Business, the result is not expected to change the national gambling landscape immediately, and the future of prediction markets is seen as more likely to be decided by the Supreme Court than by lawmakers, at least in the near term.

The report notes that prediction markets have had strong backing under President Trump, with CFTC chair Michael Selig, a Trump appointee, granting them wide regulatory permission. If voter discontent carries into the 2028 presidential race, a future Democratic administration could reverse that stance. A Democratic Congress would also be likely to make it harder for Trump to install a favorable Supreme Court justice if Clarence Thomas or Samuel Alito retired. Florida governor Ron DeSantis wrote that the chances of confirming a worthy successor are virtually zero, which could complicate any court case on the legality of sports-event contracts.

In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford defeated incumbent Republican Joe Lombardo in a tight governor's race. Lombardo, viewed as more pro-business, had received millions from gaming donors, including $3 million from Station Casinos, $2 million from the Fertitta family and $1 million from Las Vegas Sands. Ford was backed by unions, including those representing casino workers.

In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton beat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for the governorship. Acton has supported legalising online casinos with conditions on player safety and advertising. Ramaswamy had not taken a position, while outgoing governor Mike DeWine opposed iGaming last year, citing market saturation. Because Republicans still control the legislature, the outcome for online casino legalisation may depend on Acton's ability to work across party lines.

In Nebraska, Measure 440, which would authorise online wagering through partnerships between licensed racetracks and operators, was heading for rejection by about 55% to 45% with more than 95% of votes counted. Companion Measure 441 looked set to fail by a similar margin.

In Virginia, a pari-mutuel satellite facility measure in Pulaski was rejected 56.46% to 43.54%, while a similar proposal in Amherst County was narrowly ahead at 50.66% to 49.34% with 92% reporting. In Indiana, Allen, DeKalb and Steuben counties all appeared to have rejected seeking the state's single available inland casino licence, according to Decision Desk HQ data.