Our casino is coming; state must make it happen
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The voters spoke in November by approving casino gambling at horse racing tracks in Nebraska.
Now, Grand Island’s voice can be heard loud and proud as Fonner Park officials announced Friday morning that Elite Casino Resorts will build and operate Grand Island Casino Resort at Fonner Park.
The family-owned, Iowa-based company sounds like a perfect partner for our community. They reference employees as family members. Elite anticipates hiring 370 people with a $17.1 million payroll.
Fonner CEO Chris Kotulak shared his personal expectations for a casino operator:
For those attending Friday’s announcement Elite seems to check all the boxes with a simple story of how they took care of their employees as they have worked their way through the pandemic. Elite also operates Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort in Larchwood, Iowa, which is about 15 miles east of Sioux Falls, S.D.; Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, which is south of Iowa City, and Rhythm City Casino and Resort in Davenport, Iowa. Pending state gaming commission approval, the company will build Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort near Carbondale, Ill.
The Grand Island Casino floor will feature at least 650 slot machines and 20 table games in addition to the horse racing and keno at Fonner. No doubt, casino patrons will find a full weekend of activities when they visit Grand Island.
