Table games coming to casino
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As soon as Aug. 18, the array of casino games will greatly expand at Grand Island Casino Resort.
Since the casino opened in December, customers have been limited to 290 slot machines.
The Grand Island Casino Resort hopes the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission will give it permission Aug. 18 to open its expanded gaming area.
If the commission approves, the Grand Island casino will add table games later that day — probably around 6 p.m.
Added will be one craps game, one roulette game, five blackjack games and one ultimate Texas hold-em game.
The latter is a poker game "but it's still a blackjack game. It's not like a regular poker game where you play against all the other players. You're playing against the dealer," said Vince Fiala, general manager of Grand Island Casino Resort.
The casino will also add 46 slot machines, bringing the total to 336.
Aug. 18 should also bring an expanded food and beverage area. "We'll have roughly 50 seats in there. We'll have a little stage for entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights," Fiala said. Performing will be two- and three-piece bands.
With the expanded food and beverage area, patrons will be able to order burgers, chicken strips, fries and omelets.
The current food operation serves sandwiches, pizza, hot dogs and nachos.
But this news is probably even bigger: When the expanded area opens, there will be restrooms on the casino floor. And they will be nice ones, he says.
Fiala knows that news will please many people.
Right now, patrons have to be carded each time they go to the bathroom.
The expanded gaming area will be south of the current temporary casino. Both are in the concourse area.
Fiala is hopeful that the Racing and Gaming Commission will also approve the casino's sports book on Aug. 18.
If the commission gives the go-ahead, the sports book will open "right before college football, probably about Aug. 24," Fiala said.
Workers are getting the kiosks and windows ready, he said.
As Nebraska law stands now, people can't bet on the Huskers when they're playing inside the state. But Nebraskans are free to wager when the Huskers are on the road.
Groundbreaking for the permanent casino will probably be held the first week of October.
If everything goes well, the permanent casino will be open in December of 2024. But that date depends on supply chain issues, labor and other variables.
Fiala thinks this year's State Fair will be good for his operation.
For fairgoers, the casino will be another entertainment option. One of its attractions is that it's air-conditioned. If the skies open up, it'll also be a good place for people to get out of the rain.
When people have down time at the fair, Fiala hopes some of them "will come over and see us."
The State Fair attracts people from all over the state. "And they've never been here," Fiala said. For some of those visitors, it'll be the first time they get to see a casino in Nebraska, he said.
This year's race meet was a happy time at the casino. "The horse racing season was very good for us," he said.
Similarly, Fiala expects the casino and State Fair to also have a good partnership.
Business has been good at the casino, he said. For the first seven months, "We're actually a little bit ahead of what we thought we would be."
This is the slow time of year in the gaming industry. People are out golfing and going to ball games. "So we slow down a little bit in the summer," he said.
Business is usually good in autumn. When it gets cooler in the fall and winter, "people need to get out of the house and do something," he said.
They're looking for entertainment. "They can't golf anymore. They can't fish. They come out and see us."
The casino can also help the local job market.
"We're still looking for dealers," Fiala said.
The casino needs a few full-time dealers. But it's also "a great part-time job for college students and teachers," he said.
For those people, weekends and night shifts are available. "They can come out and deal a couple of nights a week," he said.
