Omaha’s WarHorse Casino completes Phase 1 of construction as opening nears
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Things are beginning to take shape at Omaha’s WarHorse Casino.
The new look is making the former Horsemen’s Park only a memory. The brand new casino and race track covers 56 acres. It took about 3.5 years to reach this point, but it’s set to open up phase one of the project in the first week of August, with plenty of gaming activity to enjoy.
“Everything you expect in a casino, we’ll have,” said WarHorse CEO Lance Morgan. “Sports betting, simulcasting tables, games, slot machines. We’ll have some food but the menus will be a bit limited until we open the new addition next April.”
The new addition will come with the completion of Phase Two and will include the main entrance, dining options, more gaming, and a skywalk connecting the casino to the parking garage.
WarHorse officials say they have already hired a few hundred employees and still need to hire about 100 more. With all the talk about reducing property taxes in Nebraska, there are a lot of people betting on some relief from those rising rates from the revenue the casino will generate.
“Twenty-five percent is split between the county and the city and the build of the rest of it goes toward property tax relief,” Morgan said. “I think the gaming industry as a whole will contribute about $100 million in property tax relief.”
Morgan believes there’s even more money out there for cities, counties, and the state to split if mobile sports gambling is ever approved in Nebraska.
“If that gets approved, that’s another $32 million toward property tax relif, so I think we’re very focused on that,” Morgan said. “Nebraskans supported gaming largely because they wanted to reduce some of their property taxes.”
Live horse racing will be a major part of the gaming at WarHorse.
Nebraska Horsemen CEO Lynne McNally told 6 News that Lincoln will remain the center of live horse racing in the state, but here in Omaha, they plan to bring new dirt for the track and upgrade the facilities.
McNally says because of construction, one day of live racing is set for this year. They hope this track will see as many as eight days of live racing in the fututre.
“We have a long, storied history in the City of Omaha,” McNally said. “Aksarben was one of the biggest tracks in the United States, so we’re bringing racing back here.”
McNally stresses that both track will include upgraded safety features.
‘We prioritize safety for the horse and the ride, so we got a brand new safety rail that is the latest technology to keep everyone safe,” McNally said.
Now, it’s the construction crew that will be racing to make sure the gaming begins on schedule in Omaha. WarHorse officials plan for a soft opening on Aug. 6 and a grand opening to the public on Aug. 9.
