FanDuel Has Nebraska Online Sports Betting Alternative

Nebraska online sports betting may not yet be legal, but The Cornhusker State now has an alternative in the market: FanDuel Picks, a daily fantasy sports peer-to-peer pick ‘em game.

FanDuel recently launched the service across 17 different markets. The company is primarily looking to capitalize on places that have not joined the ranks of legalized online sports betting in the United States. This includes Nebraska, which launched retail-only sports betting back in 2023.

The move is a calculated one, right down to the timing and market selection. For starters, FanDuel picks went live just in time for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. The belief here is that interest would be high with betting on the NFL reaching a fever pitch around that time.

However, the prioritization of establishing themselves as a Nebraska online sports betting alternative may be even more telltale.

To this point, FanDuel and other online sportsbooks in the United States have resisted broadly diving into pick ‘em and prediction-market workarounds. This represents a stark departure from that stance.

Breaking Down How the FanDuel Picks Service Works

So, we know that FanDuel Picks will provide an event-outcome opportunity for those who wish they could partake in Nebraska online sports betting. But what is it exactly? Sam McQuillan breaks it all down for Legal Sports Report:

“The product should look familiar to sports bettors. Users select between three and six athletes and predict whether each will go “more” or “less” than a projected stat line such as rushing yards or touchdowns, according to the company’s website. Winners split pooled entry fees, with potential payouts up to 1,000x the stake, a format modeled after Same Game Parlays, which have become a central profit engine for sportsbooks.
“The pick’em product comes after PrizePicks and Underdog shifted from player-vs.-house models to peer-to-peer contests in several states, following action by more than a dozen regulators who identified their games as unlicensed sports betting. That change largely satisfied regulatory concerns and helped both DFS operators expand into additional states, though DFS remains a decisive issue in other states like California. It also opened the door for larger sportsbook operators to deploy similar parlay-style fantasy products in non-betting markets. DraftKings launched its peer-to-peer pick’em in late 2023, and FanDuel is now following suit ahead of football season.”

Likening the service to Underdog and PrizePicks feels about right. Both companies shifted their business model amid increased scrutiny. Protests came from state officials and licensed sportsbooks alike.

How Will FanDuel Picks Impact Nebraska Online Sports Betting?

Right now, sports betting in Nebraska can only be offered by tribal nations. It is also limited to on-site transactions. Licensed operators are permitted to have a Nebraska online sports betting app, but wagers must still be placed on tribal property.

State lawmakers have explored launching Nebraska online sports betting. Nothing has yet to come of it. Many consider its legalization inevitable. With that said, there is no timeline.

That makes the rollout of FanDuel Picks in Nebraska absolutely fascinating. On the one hand, we can imagine tribal nations contesting its legality. The peer-to-peer games may not be conventional sports betting, but they represent a close enough alternative. Prospective sports betting customers might prefer FanDuel picks to visiting a physical Nebraska sportsbook.

On the flip side, the current stance of Nebraska online sports betting has not previously prohibited access to daily fantasy sports apps. The Cornhusker State is not among those who pushed back on PrizePicks and Underdog Fantasy.

To be sure, this is different from endorsing its legality. But the lack of action taken against it speaks volumes. Policymakers seem content to let daily fantasy exist in the legal gray area—which is exactly where we want to be.

Time Could Prompt Nebraska to Change Their Stance

Similar to other states, Nebraska’s indifferent stance on FanDuel Picks could evolve over time. FanDuel is large enough that even a niche Nebraska online sports betting alternative could leave a dent in revenue. And if that happens, you better believe there will be more push back from tribes.

Whether any resistance can hold merit is a separate matter. Attempts to kick daily fantasy sports out of markets have been successful in the past. But this is different.

By and large, FanDuel has avoided entering these gray areas so as not to compromise their chances of moving general sports betting into the market. That hesitance no longer appears to be as strong. At least, it’s not as strong in smaller markets. FanDuel Picks is conspicuously absent from The Golden State. It is not hard to see why, either. FanDuel wants to be at the front of the line if and when sports betting in California gets legalized.

Given how places like New Jersey and Nevada have struggled to oust events-based contracts (i.e prediction markets) from their state lines, the overlap between FanDuel Picks and Nebraska online sports betting may not hold any water.

Perhaps if more states feel the same way this can change. After all, everything comes back to the bottom line. Peer-to-peer pick ‘em fantasy games are fine…until they are not. We saw it happen with general daily fantasy sports. It may happen here, too. It just might take a while before states understand the impact of services like FanDuel Picks.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: