Midterms brought mixed news for local gambling stakeholders in the US, though the elections are not expected to have a short-term impact nationally.
The Democratic party enjoyed a wave of electoral success in the US midterms on Tuesday, sweeping up many of the key races to win control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Control of both branches of the US legislature will grant it more power to frustrate President Trump’s agenda for the remainder of his term.
The overall result is not expected to have an immediate impact on the gambling landscape nationally. The fate of prediction markets, one of the biggest topics in the US gaming industry at present, is seen as much more likely to be settled by the Supreme Court than national lawmakers.
However, evident national frustration with Donald Trump – whose approval rating is on the floor – and the Republican party more broadly may be relevant in the medium term.
Prediction markets have enjoyed strong support under Trump despite their controversy and legal uncertainty, with Trump-appointed CFTC chair Michael Selig granting them sweeping regulatory permission in a marked policy departure from the Biden administration. Should discontent continue into the 2028 Presidential election, a future Democratic Presidency may reverse fortunes for the emergent vertical.
Democratic legislative control would also likely thwart Trump’s ability to nominate a Supreme Court justice sympathetic to his causes should Justices Clarene Thomas or Samuel Alito retire during his term. Florida governor Ron DeSantis wrote that the odds of “confirming a worthy successor” to Thomas and Alito during the remainder of Trump’s presidency are virtually “zero,” which could complicate a potential case on the legality of sports-event contracts if the case is taken up by the court.
Nonetheless, several smaller results emerged across the country on Tuesday of importance to gambling stakeholders across the country.
Democrats win Nevada governor race
Of most note is Democrat Aaron Ford winning the governor’s race (the state’s head of state) in Nevada, defeating incumbent Republican rival Joe Lombardo in a tight race of relevance to the state’s renowned gambling industry.
Lombardo was seen as more pro-business and had controversially said during the campaign that he needs to “take care” of the state’s gaming billionaires who facilitate employment. Lombardo benefitted from millions in political donations from an array of gaming-related donors, including $3 million from Station Casinos, $2 million from the Fertitta family and $1 million from Las Vegas Sands.
Ford meanwhile had the backing of unions, including hospitality unions that represent workers at casinos.
Democrats win Ohio governorship
Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio’s race for governor.
Acton had come out in support of legalising online casinos in Ohio, with caveats around player safety and advertising. Online sports betting, as well as land-based sports wagering and casinos are currently legal in Ohio but online casino specifically is prohibited.
While Ramaswamy had not voiced an opinion for or against iGaming legalisation, his Republican predecessor and current governor Mike DeWine came out against it last year, arguing the state had reached a saturation point after years of gambling expansion.
The state legislature however is controlled by Republicans. The fate of iCasino legalisation may come down to Acton’s ability to work across party lines in her term, Covers reports.
Nebraska online betting measure set to be rejected
Another closely watched race by gaming interests was Nebraska’s ballot measure seeking to legalise online wagering.
Two related measures needed to pass to allow licenced racetracks to partner with online gambling operators to allow remote wagering in the state – Measure 440 authorising online wagering and Measure 441 authorising legal changes to allow the state regulator to oversee it.
The main Ballot Measure 440 is set to be rejected by an approximate 55% to 45% vote share with over 95% of votes counted. Measure 441 looks set to fail by a similar margin.
Some success in local Virginia pari-mutuel wagering measures
Virginia meanwhile saw two localised measures on expanding physical wagering. A measure on permitting pari-mutuel wagering at satellite facilities in the town of Pulaski was rejected 56.46% to 43.54%.
However, a similar measure permitting pari-mutuel wagering at satellite facilities in Amherst County may narrowly pass, with votes sitting at 50.66% to 49.34% with 92% of results reported at the time of writing. This article will be updated once the result is confirmed.
Indiana local casino licences
Over in Indiana, results have yet to be officially declared but three counties appear to have all rejected permission for a potential casino in their area.
Allen County, DeKalb County and Steuben County all asked voters for permission to apply for an inland casino license. However, there is only one licence; the licence will only go to one of the three counties even if all three measures are successful.
According to US election data tracker Decision Desk HQ, Allan County is set to reject by roughly 60% to 40%, Steuben County is set to reject by 59% to 41% and DeKalb will reject by 65% to 35%.
Local news organisation Indiana Capital Chronicle reported that local business groups had backed the project as an economic stimulus, while critics described gambling as bad for local citizens.
