• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Lost Prairie Press

Lost Prairie Press

Trending News from the Midwest - IA, IL, KS, MO, NE

  • Home
  • MIDWEST
  • ILLINOIS
  • IOWA
  • KANSAS
  • MISSOURI
  • NEBRASKA
  • About Us
    • Contact Us

Temporary Lincoln casino will have more than 300 slot machines

{{featured_button_text}}

Lincoln Race Course

The Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association plans to set up a temporary casino with more than 300 slot machines in the current Lincoln Race Course simulcasting building.

GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star file photo

Matt Olberding

It will be awhile before the WarHorse Casino gets built in Lincoln, but those who worked to make it a reality hope to have a temporary operation up and running within the next six months.

On Friday, the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association filed a nearly $2.4 million building permit for work that will transform the simulcast building at Lincoln Race Course near U.S. 77 and West Denton Road into a temporary casino floor with more than 300 slot machines.

Lynne McNally, the group’s executive vice president, said 305 slot machine stations will be set up in current space that’s used for simulcasting, which will reduce the area available for that activity.

“We’re hoping to make it work and be able to run both operations out of the same space,” she said, though she acknowledged that could be tough, especially on weekends.

Lincoln casino developers ‘hurry up and wait’ to begin construction

McNally said slot machines will be the extent of casino gambling in Lincoln until the full WarHorse Casino is built on the site, something that will take 18-24 months once construction gets underway.

The new casino, which McNally and Lance Morgan, president and chief executive officer of Ho-Chunk Inc., have said will be the largest in Nebraska, will include more than 1,200 gaming stations, a 196-room hotel, event space, five or six restaurants and other amenities such as a spa at an estimated cost of $220 million.

The work to set up the temporary casino with slot machines will only take a few weeks, but it still could be several months before that work can start, McNally said.

Even though the Legislature last month approved LB561, which establishes the framework for Nebraska’s first casinos at horse racetracks, there is still quite a bit of work to be done to come up with a process for potential operators to apply for gaming licenses and for the government to approve them.

Casino gambling framework adopted by Legislature

Tom Sage, director of the Nebraska Gaming and Racing Commission, said the commission Monday is scheduled to open and evaluate proposals it solicited from gaming consultants to review proposed rules and regulations for casino gaming in the state.

The commission wants to have a consultant in place and working by July 1, and that person would have four weeks to review the rules and provide a report, Sage said.

Once that process is complete, the commission must provide a 30-day public notice before holding a hearing on the proposed rules. They then would have to be reviewed by the Attorney General’s office and approved by the governor, at which point they would go to the Secretary of State’s office for official recognition.

$100 million casino resort planned for Grand Island

That likely means it would be sometime in September at the earliest before casino operators could even apply for a license, and McNally said she expects the vetting process to take up to 30 days before a license is approved.

Not only do the entities running the casino have to get a license, but so do gaming vendors, she said.

Even though there are still months of work left before racetrack casinos can get started, McNally said she has no complaints about the process.

“As you can imagine, they don’t want to give just anyone a license,” she said. “They’re doing what they should do.”

Casino clears zoning hurdle; makes promise to add parking for semis

10 most memorable concerts at Pinnacle Bank Arena

Nov. 9, 2013: Pink

Nov. 9, 2013: Pink

Nov. 9, 2013: Pink

What I said then: “She’s also a brilliant performer, who has assembled a fine five-piece band, two backing singers, eight dancers, striking staging that makes great use of the video screens and lights to deliver a show that makes those of Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and the rest of the pop crowd look like high school musicals. And no other performer that I know of does the aerials and acrobatics at anywhere Pink’s level.”

Journal Star file photo

Nov. 23, 2013: Elton John

Nov. 23, 2013: Elton John

Nov. 23, 2013: Elton John

What I said then: “Elton John loves playing new buildings. On Saturday night, he made it to the Pinnacle Bank Arena, noting how happy he was to be playing there and delivering an incredible, exhilarating show that forged a connection between the legendary artist and the thousands who came to see him.”

Journal Star file photo

July 14, 2014: Paul McCartney

July 14, 2014: Paul McCartney

July 14, 2014: Paul McCartney 

What I said then: “There was a great rock ‘n’ roll show in Lincoln Monday night. It came from a legend, 50 years after he and his old band took over the world. That legend, of course, is Paul McCartney. The show was at a packed Pinnacle Bank Arena. None of the more than 12,000 people who were there are likely to ever forget it.”

Journal Star file photo

Jan. 17, 2015: Fleetwood Mac

Jan. 17, 2015: Fleetwood Mac

Jan. 17, 2015: Fleetwood Mac

What I said then: “Midway through Fleetwood Mac’s Pinnacle Bank Arena concert Saturday night, drummer Mick Fleetwood suddenly became ill. The truncated set ran just over 90 minutes. Prior to the abrupt ending, Fleetwood Mac had pumped out 14 songs, all familiar to the 14,000-plus that packed the arena Saturday — and sounded and looked good doing it.”

FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star file photo

July 11, 2015: Neil Young

July 11, 2015: Neil Young

July 11, 2015: Neil Young

What I said then: “Unlike nearly all his contemporaries who are content to vacuum up the cash with greatest-hits shows, the 69-year-old Young continues to plow forward, playing new songs and deep catalog material. That had him on point — in fine, strong voice throughout, fully committed and locked in with the band in a sharply constructed set.”

FRANCIS GARDLER/Lincoln Journal file photo

March 26, 2016: Carrie Underwood

March 26, 2016: Carrie Underwood

March 26, 2016: Carrie Underwood 

What I said then: “The 2005 ‘American Idol’ winner is a great vocalist, with good range and striking control and the ability to sing the hell out of almost any song. … Underwood’s show ran nearly two hours long, included 22 songs from throughout her career, five dress changes and just enough talk to let her fully connect with the crowd.”

Journal Star file photo

Aug. 18, 2017: Kendrick Lamar

Aug. 18, 2017: Kendrick Lamar

Aug. 18, 2017: Kendrick Lamar

What I said then: “Lamar’s widely regarded as today’s greatest rapper. As Friday’s show, songs and performance demonstrated, there’s an argument to be made that he’s already the greatest of all time.”

AP file photo

Oct. 20, 2017: Garth Brooks

Oct. 20, 2017: Garth Brooks

Oct. 20, 2017: Garth Brooks

What I said then: “Country music associations should either retire their entertainer of the year awards or name them after Garth Brooks. For no country performer, new or old, can hold a guitar, microphone or cowboy hat to the engaging, energetic Oklahoma superstar who kicked off a five-concert Pinnacle Bank Arena run with a joyous 2½-hour show Friday.”

KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star file photo

March 24, 2018: Lorde

March 24, 2018: Lorde

March 24, 2018: Lorde

What I said then: “Lorde delivered for nearly 90 minutes — as an artist, something she confessed midway through, saying, ‘I’m not a real pop star.’ … Nor was hers a standard pop show. That put the focus on Lorde, her emotive vocals and her distinctive electro-pop — all of which captivated the crowd, which appeared to be in the 6,000-to-7,000 range.”

KAYLA WOLF, Journal Star file photo

Oct. 2, 2018: Odesza

Oct. 2, 2018: Odesza

Oct. 2, 2018: Odesza

What I said then: “The electronic music production duo’s show is a beautiful spectacle carried by always-moving music. … With its use of lights, a video-projection screen at the back of the stage and the choreographed movements and imagery of the performers, Odesza put on a show in the truest sense of the word.”

Courtesy photo, Julian Bajsel/Shore Fire Media

Five great opening acts

Five great opening acts

* 2014: Cyndi Lauper opening for Cher (May 30)

* 2015: Chris Stapleton opening for Eric Church (May 20); Alice Cooper opening for Motley Crue (Dec. 4)

* 2016: The Pretenders opening for Stevie Nicks (Dec. 5)

* 2018: Jamey Johnson opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd (Oct. 6)

FRANCIS GARDLER/Lincoln Journal file photo

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.

On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

0 comments

With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history.

View Source

Filed Under: NEBRASKA

Primary Sidebar

More to See

caranne-camarena-talks-about-her-gallery,-vulpes-bastille,-and-the-changing-crossroads

Caranne Camarena talks about her gallery, Vulpes Bastille, and the changing Crossroads

Caranne Camarena wanted to create a space for artists to work on their pieces and collaborate in an artistic community, much like she had at her alma mater, Kansas City Art Institute. Overland Park … [Read More...] about Caranne Camarena talks about her gallery, Vulpes Bastille, and the changing Crossroads

presenting-adventhealth-broadway-series-at-starlight-theatre-2023

Presenting AdventHealth Broadway Series at Starlight Theatre 2023

Menu Best of KC Frequently Asked Questions Best of Kansas City 2022 Winners News Longform Politics Sports Only in KC Food & Drink Food News Restaurant Reviews Beer, Wine, … [Read More...] about Presenting AdventHealth Broadway Series at Starlight Theatre 2023

42-essential-sweets-in-kc,-from-bonbons-to-apple-fritters

42 essential sweets in KC, from bonbons to apple fritters

February is short but sweet. This month, we share our picks for the city’s best bonbons and a lot of other unique sweets that are baked, dipped and drizzled to perfection. By Dawnya Bartsch, Martin … [Read More...] about 42 essential sweets in KC, from bonbons to apple fritters

our-five-favorite-bonbons-in-kc

Our five favorite bonbons in KC

Photo by Caleb Condit and Rebecca Norden It’s Valentine’s Day month, but fancy chocolate deserves to be enjoyed year-round. We visited chocolatiers around the … [Read More...] about Our five favorite bonbons in KC

oppd-launches-transparency-website

OPPD launches transparency website

Posted on December 1, 2022 Overland Park now has more access to information about its Police Department than ever, thanks to a library of online transparency-focused … [Read More...] about OPPD launches transparency website

Footer

WELCOME!

Thanks for visiting Lost Prairie Press!

We hope you’ll enjoy news and perspective from the Midwest – specifically, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri.

About/Contact

Privacy Policy

Recent

  • Caranne Camarena talks about her gallery, Vulpes Bastille, and the changing Crossroads
  • Presenting AdventHealth Broadway Series at Starlight Theatre 2023
  • 42 essential sweets in KC, from bonbons to apple fritters

Search

Copyright © 2023 · Lost Prairie Press