The Winnebago Tribe has been given the green light to open the WarHorse Casino on Aug. 6, after the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission (NRGC) voted unanimously to approve its launch date and hours of operation.
Pending review of a few final compliance checks, WarHorse Casino will be open for business 24 hours a day.
The casino was built by Ho-Chunk Inc., the business arm of the Winnebago Tribe, in partnership with the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). The casino will feature 925 gaming positions, table games, and the Ho-Chunk-owned coffee shop, Sweetwater Cafe. Located at 63rd and Q Streets, the casino is paired with the Horsemen’s Thoroughbred racing track.
Omaha’s first casino
WarHorse is the first and only state-approved casino in Omaha and the second permanent racino facility in Nebraska, one of a handful of states that does not offer legal sports betting. Until now, residents of Nebraska’s largest city's closest option has been to cross the Missouri River to gamble at one of neighboring Iowa’s casinos.
In addition to saving Omaha residents time and money spent on interstate travel, the WarHorse opening prevents the loss of potential revenue to large Iowa casinos like Harrah’s, Ameristar, and Horseshoe Council Bluffs.
WarHorse Casino will pay a 20% tax on its gross gaming revenue (GGR). 70% of these proceeds will go toward the state’s Property Tax Credit Cash Fund, while 25% goes to the county where the racetrack is located. The state’s general fund and the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund will receive the remaining 5%.
A ‘Seminal Moment’
Receiving the go-ahead from the NRGC was “a pretty seminal moment for the gaming industry in Nebraska, for sure, and for the Winnebago Tribe," said WarHorse CEO Lance Morgan to the Omaha World-Herald.
“In some ways, I’ve been working on this for about 30 years. And so it’s almost hard to believe. A little surreal. But I can’t wait to actually see it open. And then, like anything else, we’ll just get to the next phase and the next phase and keep it growing.”
The next phase will include 400 additional gaming positions, more dining options, and a smoking area. WarHorse’s existing sportsbook and simulcast areas, which currently operate from a temporary on- site facility, will eventually move inside the new casino building.
Horsemen’s Park
While the casino is set to open in a few weeks, WarHorse’s racing track will take a little longer to get off the ground.
The thoroughbred track, located at Horsemen’s Park, will host just one race this year,
fulfilling the state’s requirement that all racinos hold a minimum of one race per year. The
event at Horsemen’s Park will take place on Sept. 29.
The Winnebago Tribe
WarHorse isn’t the Winnebago Tribe’s first casino. It has already established three tribal casinos: Iron Horse Casino in Emerson, Nebraska; Native Star Casino in Winnebago, Nebraska; and WinnaVegas Casino & Resort in Sloan, Iowa.
The tribe also established Ho-Chunk, Inc. in 1994. The name derives from the ancestral name for the Winnebago Community, Hochungra, and translates to ‘The People, Incorporated.' According to its website, Ho-Chunk’s mission statement is to create jobs and help the tribe reach economic self- sufficiency.
Beyond the company’s commercial pursuits, Ho-Chunk offers scholarships, internships, and academic development opportunities, a Housing Down Payment Assistance Program, and contributes substantial charitable donations to the wider Winnebago community.
