WarHorse Casino has opened to the public in Lincoln, Nebraska
WarHorse Gaming had held an opening ceremony for its temporary casino in Lincoln
Source: Focus Gaming News
The temporary WarHorse Casino in southwest Lincoln, Nebraska, has opened to the public. A permanent facility is expected to open in September 2023.
The temporary casino located at Lincoln Race Course Thoroughbred opened to the public on Saturday, 24th September, at 10am. The member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s Tribal Council Ken Mallory placed a bet at around 9:30am.
Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc, said: “It’s a big day, we’ve been working on this for years and to finally just be able to open the door, we were going to open at 10am, and at 9.45am I was pushing them to open the door a little earlier. It’s a modest start, but we’re going to build a big facility around it, but it’s just a taste of what’s to come.”
Phase one of the permanent developments will include a 9,000 square foot gaming floor, 445 slot machines, sports book kiosks and simulcast and live racing. The second phase will include a 200-room hotel, event center and steakhouse. Warhorse said the casino will bring 900 jobs to the city.
Nebraska voters approved a ballot to allow casino gambling at racetracks in November 2020. All six licensed horse tracks, located in Lincoln, Omaha, South Sioux City, Columbus, Grand Island and Hastings, have announced plans to add casinos. Six additional racetracks have been proposed in Bellevue, Gering, Kimball, Norfolk, North Platte and York.
In June, WarHorse Gaming held a groundbreaking ceremony at Horsemen’s Park, the future site of WarHorse Omaha. The groundbreaking kicks off an anticipated 18 months of construction. The casino is to feature more than 1,200 slot machines, and 20 table games. It will also offer a sportsbook and both live and simulcast horse racing. The final build-out will include a variety of dining options, a sports bar, and a cafe.
According to the plan presented to the city, the project involves renovations to the existing complex as well as nearly 67,000 square feet in new construction. A temporary facility will be set up with 800 gambling machines, about 10 months after the groundbreaking.
WarHorse Gaming, LLC, is a division of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the award-winning economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. WarHorse Gaming will manage and operate the expansion of casino gaming at the existing horse racing tracks in South Sioux City and in partnership with the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) in Omaha and Lincoln.
