Pending approval by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, the first casino in the state is expected to open on Saturday, September 24. At the moment, a temporary casino will be built at the Lincoln Race Course Thoroughbred track.
The location is scheduled to open at 10:30 AM on Saturday, with over 400 operational slot machines. Problem gamblers can file self-exclusion paperwork to prevent themselves from entering the casino.
Ho-Chunk Inc. is the economic wing of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and operator of WarHorse, the casino being opened in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Ho-Chunk Inc. President and CEO Lance Morgan commented: "We have every expectation that we’ll get a license. Problem gamblers are actually being urged to file the voluntary self-exclusion form to bar their admission to the casino and the temptation to gamble."
Lincoln-based gambling counselor Mike Sciandra added: "The power of this addiction is as intense as any addiction out there."
The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission is meeting on Friday afternoon to consider the final approval of the casino license of WarHorse Gaming Lincoln, approval is expected to be granted.
The WarHorse Lincoln has converted a simulcast/sports bar facility to accommodate 433 slot machines while a $200m casino and hotel complex is built around it, just off US 77 in southwest Lincoln.
On Saturday, the Lincoln Race Course will be officially renamed "Legacy Downs."
Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association CEO Lynne McNally revealed that the name change is in honor of the long-running thoroughbred horse racing industry in the state.
Casino gambling was first approved by Nebraska voters in 2020.
