The first of what will be several Nebraska commercial racinos will be open for business as early as May 13th when Harrah’s Columbus leaves their temporary facility for its new permanent location.
Let’s take a look at the preliminary details and see what Nebraska’s future holds for top-rated sportsbooks.
A New Era
Casino gambling has taken a circuitous path in Nebraska. However, the first step to establishing the Cornhusker State as a commercial gaming market will take a giant leap forward when the permanent home of Harrah’s Columbus comes to town. The Caesars Entertainment subsidiary has been operating in its temporary facility since June 12th, 2023 at AG Park in Columbus.
Don Ostert, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino, said at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the temporary gaming facility, “Opening the Columbus Casino is a huge milestone for us in the Harrah’s Columbus project. With the tremendous support from the community of Columbus, we’re proud to open our doors and welcome guests to the temporary facility for the first time.”
But now the move into a bigger, more impressive permanent facility with a start date slated for May 13th will make Harrah’s the first commercial racino in Nebraska. Live horse racing is targeted for August 16th at the earliest.
Joe Morris, SVP of Racing at Caesars Entertainment said last year at a Columbus community meeting:
“Horse Racing has been ingrained in the history of Columbus for decades. We’re thrilled to contribute to that history and bring an all-new, one-mile racetrack for the community to enjoy. Caesars Entertainment is committed to bringing the best offerings for guests of the casino and fans of racing in the area and we look forward to welcoming Columbus to the track once it’s complete.”
The permanent site will feature a 28,000-square-foot-casino and a Caesars sportsbook, offering more than 500 slot machines and 14 table games. And for horse racing fans, it will also boast the state’s longest thoroughbred track in Nebraska. There will be several dining options and a footbridge will connect the property to a Marriott Fairfield Inn and Townplace Suites.
Step by Step
There are currently four tribal casinos operating in Nebraska including locations at Santee, Emerson, Winnebago and Walthill, while another is just outside downtown Omaha in Carter Lake, Iowa. But the onset of commercial racinos is just beginning and before long there will be more permanent gaming facilities in Lincoln, Grand Island and Omaha, all of which are presently operating in temporary sites.
They say you must crawl before you can walk, and if that’s true we can consider gaming in Nebraska as in its crawling stage. Certainly, that is preferable to no gaming at all if you are a supporter or stakeholder of gambling in the Cornhusker State.
This sets the table for an expansion of gaming in Nebraska that could eventually culminate in online sports betting as well as online casino gaming, commonly referred to as iGaming. Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., the parent company of WarHorse Gaming which operates racinos in Lincoln and Omaha, shared the results of a survey that revealed, “57% of respondents signaled support for the constitutional amendment.”
Although that data suggests Nebraskans are warming to expanded gaming, it is not yet overwhelming enough to chart a course, considering there are also legislators who are not enamored with digital wagering in the state.
