In Nebraska, Hastings Exposition and Racing recently submitted its 2024 racing license application to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, requesting permission to move the license from Hastings to Ogallala.
The company is partnering with Elite Casino Resorts in a $100 million project to build a 5/8-mile racetrack and state-of-the-art racing facilities,18-room hotel, event center, travel center, RV park and a casino with 640 slots, 20 gaming tables and a poker room. The venue would be named the Lake Mac Casino Resort and Racetrack.
Brian Becker, owner of Hastings Exposition and Racing, said in a statement, “We’ve been in the racing business for over 30 years, and the Elite family has been in the casino industry for over 30 years. Joining up with Elite Casino Resorts was a perfect partnership to grow the quarter horse racing industry.”
Hastings Exposition and Racing legal counsel Brian Jorde explained the move to Ogallala was due to a small group of powerful Hastings residents who opposed the new racino. Jorde said a petition was circulated in Hastings in January to place the developer’s conditional use permit on the ballot.
“We couldn’t risk dealing with that, litigating that, going another year and a half, two years with no location while every other track and casino was getting up and running. After two and a half years and hundreds of thousands of dollars, it became clear there was too much uncertainty with Hastings and the community. At the end of the day after banging your head against a wall for so long you finally realize you got to stop that,” Jorde told local outlet KSNB.
Elite Casino Resorts spokesperson Donyelle DeVore-Kemp said Elite would make the $100 million investment. She said no timeline has been established for the project, which depends on securing the commission’s approval of the license change from Hastings to Ogallala.
Dan Kehl, Elite Casino Resorts chief executive officer, said Elite looks forward to partnering with Hastings and “showcasing our Elite amenities in western Nebraska.” The company operates four casino resorts: Riverside Casino & Golf Resort near Iowa City, Iowa; Rhythm City Casino Resort in Davenport, Iowa; Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort in Larchwood, Iowa; and the temporary Grand Island Casino Resort in Grand Island, Nebraska, operating while the permanent facility is built. The company also is building the new Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort in Carterville, Illinois.
