WarHorse Casino Omaha will be allowed to offer sports betting after November 1, following recent approval by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. Prior to launching sports wagering, commissioners said WarHorse must meet 14 conditions relating to security and other issues.
Sports betting will be offered at the same temporary facility at Horsemen’s Park’s racetrack infield while the $250 million permanent casino is under construction.
Lynne McNally, chief executive officer at the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, said the group hoped to launch their sportsbook earlier this year but the temporary facility has to meet strict regulatory requirements.
According to the Scottsbluff Star-Herald, McNally said, “We just really wanted to get open as early in football season as we could. That’s a huge chunk of sports betting. Everything else is dwarfed by the NCAA and NFL Better late than never, I guess.”
WarHorse Casino Omaha currently offers betting on live horse races inside a small mobile building. Simulcast horse racing also will be available in the temporary facility, McNally said.
She said a 3-season tent will be erected to accommodate additional sports bettors, but customers will place their sports bets inside the temporary building. That facility offers about 850 slots but no table games; those will be available when the permanent venue opens due to space considerations. The permanent casino will hold 1,200 slots, table games and the sportsbook.
Per the Star-Herald, McNally said, “If the current simulcast customers and our future sports betting customers can be a little patient with us, they’re going to see something really spectacular next fall. We’re shooting for September.” She said more than 110 construction workers currently are on site.
WarHorse partnered with Kambi to provide the sports-betting platform and the odds for both the Omaha and Lincoln locations.
Legalized sports betting launched in Nebraska on June 22 with the opening of a sportsbook at WarHorse Casino in Lincoln, followed by sports wagering at Grand Island Casino Resort on August 23.
