Significant step made toward Columbus casino
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The planned $75 million project for a Caesar's horse track and casino in Columbus took a major step forward on Friday. At a hearing of the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, commission members voted 6-0 in favor of the rules presented that allow casino gambling at Nebraska race tracks.
The package now heads to Attorney General Doug Peterson and Gov. Pete Ricketts for their approval. Once agreed upon, the rules move to the Secretary of State and go into effect about a week later.
In essence, how casinos are allowed to be set up and operated, how much of the revenues are shared with the state, the initial cost of applying for a casino license and other matters make up the 67 pages of regulations that were introduced and approved.
Friday was nearly the final step needed for planned projects across the state to begin building in earnest.
"For us, it's the next step to get us closer to submitting our plans, getting our permits and making things happen to put a spade in the ground by, hopefully, April," Columbus Exposition and Racing member Tom Jackson said. "There's a lot to write in rules and regs. The executive director and the commissioners, you get one chance to do it right, and they did their due diligence to do it right."
CER announced a partnership with Caesars Entertainment Group in early July. The development project, located off Highway 81 northwest of town, is expected to feature a new 1-mile horse racing surface, a 40,000 square-foot-casino and sportsbook with more than 400 slot machines and 20 table games and space for restaurants and retail. A hotel is also part of the plans.
However, nothing could be set in motion until the Nebraska Legislature first approved a gaming commission, which it did last spring, and that gaming commission wrote the rules governing the industry within the state.
Much of what is contained in the rules are part of the language voters approved on three ballot measures in the 2020 general election. Nebraska voters were in favor of allowing casino gambling at race tracks by a 65% vote share. Consultants and industry experts also offered insight into the rules formation. For example, an amendment to the rules language include an initial casino licensing fee of $1 million for a 20-year license.
The one matter the rules did not confront are how many casinos are allowed in the state and where casinos can be located.
Currently, only race tracks are allowed to operate a casino. That leaves six locations - Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Columbus, Hastings and South Sioux City - as the forerunners in the expansion of Nebraska gambling. However, proposals have been announced for tracks in Bellevue, Gering, Kimball, Norfolk, North Platte and York.
Whether or not those locations could apply for a racing and gaming license and build both simultaneously, or start with a track and operate the track before a casino can be approved remains in question.
For Jackson and CER, that's not a concern. Racing has been in Columbus for more than 75 years.
CER purchased the land on which the former Wishbones and Columbus Event Center sat earlier this year and had an agreement with the landowner for one more growing season. Hopes were then to have the crop out in October and building begin this month. Those plans were put on hold while waiting for the rules to be released and approved.
"Does it seem like its been a long process? Yeah, but I'm an impatient guy," Jackson said, who initially indicated in July that plans were for the casino to be built and operational by December 2022. "They vetted it real good, it's a working document so there will always be changes, but they've done a good job of getting the right rules and regs planned so we don't have issues down the road."
Jackson also discussed other aspects of the casino that will all be made public in due time. Perhaps the most meaningful is the designs for the fan experience at the race track.
Columbus race fans gather for conversation and fellowship around the front stretch of the current track at Ag Park - part of an area otherwise known as the apron. Jackson said that Caesars is taking that into account and planning its architecture around the track apron.
A grandstand will also be included, but likely in a smaller structure than the one that sits on the west edge of the track at Ag Park. Space for benches, picnic tables and other amenities along the rail of the track will take priority.
"We'll have the best apron in the Midwest for horse racing," Jackson said.
"We've been working on conceptual designs. We've been working on fitting it within the property. We've been working with the casino operator and the hotel operator. Right now I'm really proud of where we're at with it. I think it's going to be great for Columbus."
Nate Tenopir is the sports editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at ntenopir@columbustelegram.com.
