LINCOLN, Nebraska – Lincoln residents’ ability to play games of chance and wager on sports reached its first major milestone today, with WarHorse Gaming holding a groundbreaking ceremony for WarHorse Casino Lincoln.
The event took place at the future home of the facility, Lincoln Race Course, and included remarks from Lance Morgan, President and CEO of Ho-Chunk, Inc. (parent company of WarHorse Gaming), and Garald “Wally” Wollesen, Nebraska Horsemen President.
“We’re thrilled to have reached this point,” said Morgan. “It’s been a long road getting here since the voters approved the initiatives back in 2020, but we’re very excited for all the opportunities WarHorse Lincoln will bring to the community and look forward to delivering on our promise of keeping the money in Nebraska.”
The groundbreaking kicks off an anticipated 18 months of construction, leading to a casino with more than 1,100 slots machines, 100 table games, sportsbook and both live and simulcast horse racing. The final build out will include several dining options, including a high-end steakhouse, sports bar, café and others. It will include a roughly 200-room hotel and a three-story parking garage as well.
“Nebraskans won’t have to wait much longer for the chance to play their favorite slots,” Morgan continued. “We’re planning a modest phased opening of 440 slot machines for early fall. Nebraskans have been asking us for months when the casino will open, so we want to give them an opportunity to play as soon as we can – not to mention generating some much-needed property tax relief for the state.”
About WarHorse Gaming, LLC.
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.