In Columbus, Nebraska, the Platte County Ag Society and Caesars Entertainment recently signed a lease agreement allowing Caesars to use the society’s downstairs exhibit hall space at Ag Park as a temporary casino for 15 months while the permanent facility is built.
Caesars Entertainment Regional President Todd Connelly said only minor renovations will be required. He added, “All the rest of it, we won’t have access to. The front or upstairs, that’s not ours. In the exhibit hall, we’ll build the casino in there with offices and counting rooms.”
Platte County Ag Society Board President Gregg Melliger said money from leasing the space would enable some restorations at the building. “Our long-term plan is to build a new Ag Park, a bigger and better one. This chance to make this extra money was a deciding factor in that it would work for us to move along with our plans. We’re trying to keep up with neighboring counties. Our newest building is 40-some years old, and it’s hard to keep pouring money into this old facility,” Melliger said.
Connelly said the temporary casino will feature 250 slot machines and virtual or video versions of table games, mainly because of limited space. Connelly added, “Obviously there will be video poker, keno machines, video machines and some real slot machines, like the old mechanical ones. It will have everything we have at our casinos except the table games, the same games and same manufacturers.”
The permanent facility will include a racetrack and a Brew Brothers restaurant. “I believe we’ll have the only 1-mile racetrack in Nebraska as well. We have a huge commitment to the community and to horseracing. We know it’s important to Nebraska and it’s important to us,” Connelly stated.
Melliger added the casino in the downstairs exhibit hall will not affect the Platte County Fair. He said, “We’re still going to put on a great fair next year. It will be a little different, the exhibits will be under the grandstand, but the midway will stay the same. Hopefully, partnering with Caesars, we can get some entertainment and put on a really good show for the fair.”
