The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission (NRGC) last week voted unanimously to approve a transfer request for a horse racetrack license from Hastings to a forthcoming facility in Ogallala.
Hastings Exposition and Racing, Inc. owner Brian Becker asked the NRGC to allow him to relocate his state-issued horse racing license from Fairplay Park to a new racetrack in Ogallala some 200 miles west.
Becker is partnered with Iowa-based Elite Casino Resorts on a new quarter horse racetrack measuring 5/8 of a mile and casino resort near Lake McConaughy. Dubbed Lake Mac Casino Resort & Racetrack, the $100 million project is targeting a 178-acre near Interstate 80 and Highway 26.
In 2020, Nebraskans passed a statewide ballot referendum that legalized commercial casino gambling at the state’s six horse racetracks. The measure additionally legalized in-person sports betting.
Though Hastings is still slightly east of Nebraska’s center, Fairplay Park has for decades been the westernmost horse racetrack of the six facilities. Understanding that the 2020 casino referendum could cause gaming saturation concerns, the initiative provided a one-time opportunity for racetrack owners to relocate their racing license to a more favorable market but on the conditions that they construct a new racetrack, conduct live racing, and gain local government support.
Becker initially partnered with the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma to build and operate a casino in Hastings. But after the Hastings City Council objected to the casino, Becker found a new partner in Elite.
Elite is also partnered with the Hall County Livestock Improvement Association where it’s under construction of converting Fonner Park into an entertainment destination called Grand Island Casino Resort. A temporary casino has operated inside the track’s grandstand since December 2022. The permanent resort is to open next year.
With Hastings just a 30-minute drive south of Fonner Park, Elite and Becker decided a more profitable casino could be realized in Ogallala. Lake McConaughy and its 30,000-acre state park is a popular summertime vacation destination.
Located near the Nebraska panhandle, Lake Mac Casino Resort will be much freer of competition.
“We are thrilled to bring a first-class resort, grow out-of-state tourism, add jobs, and invest $100 million into Ogallala and Western Nebraska,” said Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts.
In their 7-0 vote in approving Fairplay Park’s license transfer from Hastings to Ogallala, NGRC commissioners expressed enthusiasm for expanding the state horse racing industry west.
“Fonner Park and Hastings had been our western frontier. We’re going to move that hundreds of miles to the west,” commented Dennis Lee, the chair of the NRGC. “Ogallala really has a unique opportunity to open racing and gaming to Western Nebraska.”
The tentative plan for Lake Mac includes a 37,000-square-foot casino floor with 650 slot machines, 14 live dealer table games, and a sportsbook. The destination’s planned amenities include a hotel with 180 rooms, a convention center, several food and beverage offerings, a rooftop restaurant, an RV lot, and an expansive truck stop and travel center.
During their Friday meeting, the NRGC signed off on allowing WarHorse Casino Omaha to open on August 6.
The forthcoming permanent casino located at Horsemen’s Park is a partnership between the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and WarHorse Gaming, the latter being a subsidiary of the Ho-Chunk, Inc., the commercial business arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Oklahoma.
WarHorse Omaha is set to open with 800 slots, 20 table games, and a sportsbook. An on-site restaurant and bar is also ready for guests.
