Omaha casino market gets a new casino, and WarHorse Gaming will be in charge of its construction. The works will begin in June this year, and it will take about a year to be fully completed, so the casino will be opened in June or July next year.
New casinos in Omaha and Lincoln:
Nebraska Horsemen and Ho-Chunk Inc. partnered to open the famous WarHorse casinos in Omaha and Lincoln.
Lynne McNally, CEO of Nebraska Horsemen, said: “We’re grateful for the patience — particularly to the citizens of Omaha.”
The WarHorse casino in Lincoln was already open on the temporary facility in September last year. It contains 433 slot machines. Casino in Omaha, which will be opened next year, will be the upgraded version of the casino in Lincoln, and it will contain twice more gaming positions. The works on the construction will be finalized by the end of 2024 when the final facility will be opened to the public.
McNally added: “It’s going to be fantastic. We’ll have table games, restaurant options, sports betting, and simulcasting.”
Works on the Lincoln casino’s full facility will begin its second phase in July. After finishing the second phase, the size of the facility will be doubled, and additional 500 parking stalls will be prepared for guests. More players will be able to enjoy the games since 870 new slot machines will be added to the facility, as well as six to ten table games. The dining area will also be expanded in order to receive more guests.
On top of that, horse racing will be back in Omaha in the new casino, which will help in the revitalization of the industry in Nebraska and be a great addition to the launching of the new era for Nebraska casinos.
Casino opening after many issues:
Voters approved the building of the casino in November last year, but the project was on hold due to an unpredictable course of events. The rules and regulations had to be revised for this $500 million project to begin.
McNally said: “Unfortunately, we started the process at about the same time the economy tanked and interest rates went through the roof. That has been difficult to navigate, but we’ve done that effectively, and that’s done.”
The first step will be revising and updating the sewer and water systems, as well as the roads in the region. The foundations of the five-story parking garage will be placed as well.
The authorities hope that gambling in Omaha will be completely legal in 13 or 14 months. McNally said that they hoped that the money would be kept in Nebraska and that the gamblers wouldn’t have to travel to Council Bluffs to gamble, which would increase the tax revenue in both Omaha and the state.
The casinos in Lincoln and Grand Island, which were opened in September, so far contributed to the state with about $6.9 million in tax revenue.