Lincoln's WarHorse Casino set to begin next phase of construction
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LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Phase two of the WarHorse Lincoln construction project will begin next week, once all the building permits are approved.
Lynne McNally, CEO of the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, said the expansion will double the size of the casino.
She said the casino aims to create 900 gaming stations, including table games like blackjack.
There will also be more space for restaurant seating, horse race simulcasting and sports betting.
“You’ll be able to bet the horse races and bet on a football game at the exact same time,” McNally said. “The gaming space will be much more spread out, much more comfortable, and we’re doubling the number of gaming positions.”
She said the horse racing track, which was part of phase one, should be completed within the next month.
Phase two should take about a year.
Once it’s finished, phase three — the construction of the hotel — begins.
McNally said that will take about a year and a half and will make the casino more desirable to travelers.
“We’re going to be the true destination casino that we should be,” she said. “And I should add that when the hotel is finished, we’ll be the only racetrack in the nation that has all the south-facing rooms on the finish line so you can watch the races from your room. It’s going to be exciting.”
She also dispelled rumors about construction being halted, saying there were just changes to how the project is being planned out.
Originally, the building permit was for the entire project, but it has since been broken down to accommodate the different phases.
“The market has been very volatile lately, and borrowing money has been a lot more expensive than it has been in the past,” McNally said. “So, we figured it was wiser to do phase two first, wait for the interest rates to stabilize, and then continue with phase three as soon as construction is done on phase two.”
WarHorse developer Ho-Chunk Inc. has already spent about $100 million on its Lincoln and Omaha casinos and plans to put $310 million more into additions.
Since opening in September last year, the Lincoln casino has raked in millions of dollars in tax revenue, and McNally expects that will only continue to grow.
Twenty-five percent of that money goes to the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County, while 70% goes to the Nebraska Property Tax Relief Fund.
