Community involvement was the focus of casino negotiations
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Columbus Exposition and Racing Managing Partner Tom Jackson took a trip out to the Indiana Grand Casino and Racecourse recently.
It wasn't the moment that made up his mind; it was more a moment that reinforced what he and CER had been learning about Caesars Entertainment throughout the negotiating process.
What he saw in terms of the operation and the connection to the community left quite the impression. "First class," was how he chose to describe it.
Community involvement was always the factor CER was looking for once voters approved casino gambling last fall and the organization began exploring options for a casino in Columbus. In the process of interviewing and gathering information on five potential casino operators, it was Caesars that was the far and away winner.
Residents of Columbus and the local area found that out Thursday night when news of a partnership between CER and Caesars to build a casino racetrack northwest of town was announced.
"They checked all the boxes we were looking for in a partnership," Jackson said. "If we don't have a commitment to the community and a commitment to the horse racing, that's where differences were made."
Indiana Grand is part of a Caesars empire that includes more than 50 properties in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Egypt and South Africa. Some of the more familiar names in the company include The Flamingo and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas as well as The Horseshoe and Harrah's in Council Bluffs.
