The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission (NRGC) recently voted to allow Elite Casino Resorts’ Grand Island Casino Resort to offer craps, roulette and other table games as well as sports betting. As a result, Grand Island is the first casino in the state to offer table games and the second racino to offer sports betting.
Elite Casino Resorts Chief Executive Officer Dan Kehl said, “We are absolutely excited to bring the first live table games to Nebraska and to our valued Grand Island Casino guests. This expansion to the temporary casino is driven by listening to our guests and our commitment to providing top-notch entertainment experiences. We are also eager to start construction on our permanent facility in October and begin the next phase of this multi-million-dollar development in Grand Island.”
Fonner Park Chief Executive Officer Chris Kotulak added, “This is an important moment for the horseracing community, Grand Island and the entire state of Nebraska. The addition of live table games, expanded menu offerings and live entertainment on the weekends at the Grand Island Casino adds a new layer of entertainment to our community and offers a unique experience for both local residents and visitors. It is also another step in the process of rejuvenating the Nebraska Thoroughbred racing industry and the agriculture industry that accompanies it.”
Table games opened on Friday, August 18 at the grand opening of the temporary facility’s expanded gaming floor. Players will find one craps table, one roulette table, five blackjack tables and one Texas Hold ‘em table. Sharon Haselhoff, Elite Casino Resorts regional vice president, said the casino has been hiring and training dealers. Also, she said 46 new slots were added, bringing the casino’s total to 337.
Sports betting will launch at Grand Island this week. Haselhoff said, “We hope to open the Elite Sportsbook with two kiosks and two sports windows to bet in person.”
Under Nebraska law, wagers must be placed in person or at a wagering kiosk in the designated sports wagering area at the licensed racetrack enclosure. The state’s sports wagering catalog now includes men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup soccer and World Boxing Association events.
Hasselhoff said the dining area will become a Draft Day restaurant, serving lunch and dinner daily and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday “to get that sports wagering crowd early.”
In Lincoln, WarHorse Casino debuted sports wagering in June, but the launch date for sports betting at WarHorse Casino in Omaha hasn’t been set yet. is still Lynne McNally, chief executive officer at Nebraska Horsemen, said she had hoped sports betting would be available in Omaha before Nebraska football’s season opener on August 31, an away game against Minnesota. “That was my self-imposed deadline, and I’m not going to make it,” McNally said.
