A ceremonial groundbreaking recently was held at the WarHorse Casino in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association are partners in the $200 million-plus venture, which will be completed in 18 months, according to Nebraska Horsemen Chief Operating Officer Lori Thomas.
“More dirt-moving, more scaffolding, more hard hats running around and we’re looking forward to it,” Thomas said. The facility will offer a casino with 1,200 gaming stations, horse racing track, 196-room hotel, event space, spa, several restaurants and a parking garage.
Thomas added, “We are absolutely thrilled to be at this moment. It’s been a long time coming since 2020, when the expanded gaming initiatives passed with 65 percent of the vote, so it’s a great moment for Nebraska horse racing in particular. It’s also great for all of Nebraska and Lincoln.”
Meanwhile, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission recently granted WarHorse and the horsemen’s group a provisional gaming license to start work on a temporary casino at Lincoln Race Course. Lynne McNally, executive vice president of the horsemen’s group, said the facility is scheduled to open on September 19 with up to 440 slots.
Fonner Park in Grand Island also is planning to open a temporary casino this fall, featuring 200 slots. Fonner Park Chief Executive Officer Chris Kotulak said work on a temporary casino will likely start shortly after the Nebraska State Fair ends on Labor Day.
In addition, Caesar’s Senior Vice President of Development Robert Livingston said the company plans to open a temporary casino in Columbus in mid-November. Harrah’s and Columbus Exposition and Racing are partnering on a $75 million casino development there.
Nebraska’s two other existing horseracing tracks, in South Sioux City and Hastings, both have announced casino plans but have not yet submitted applications. WarHorse, developer of the South Sioux City casino, said it would concentrate on the Lincoln and Omaha casinos first. It’s also planning a July 27 groundbreaking for its casino at Horsemen’s Park in Omaha.
Global Gaming Nebraska, a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, said it hopes to operate a casino in Hastings but hasn’t announced plans. However, the company said it has shelved plans for new racinos in North Platte and Gering.
This spring, the state legislature passed a bill approving a moratorium on any new casinos until the Racing and Gaming Commission completes studies on the state’s horse racing and casino gambling markets. The deadline for those studies is January 1, 2025.
