It will be awhile before the WarHorse Casino gets built in Lincoln, but those who worked to make it a reality hope to have a temporary operation up and running within the next six months.
On Friday, the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association filed a nearly $2.4 million building permit for work that will transform the simulcast building at Lincoln Race Course near U.S. 77 and West Denton Road into a temporary casino floor with more than 300 slot machines.
Lynne McNally, the group's executive vice president, said 305 slot machine stations will be set up in current space that's used for simulcasting, which will reduce the area available for that activity.
"We're hoping to make it work and be able to run both operations out of the same space," she said, though she acknowledged that could be tough, especially on weekends.
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McNally said slot machines will be the extent of casino gambling in Lincoln until the full WarHorse Casino is built on the site, something that will take 18-24 months once construction gets underway.
The new casino, which McNally and Lance Morgan, president and chief executive officer of Ho-Chunk Inc., have said will be the largest in Nebraska, will include more than 1,200 gaming stations, a 196-room hotel, event space, five or six restaurants and other amenities such as a spa at an estimated cost of $220 million.
The work to set up the temporary casino with slot machines will only take a few weeks, but it still could be several months before that work can start, McNally said.
Even though the Legislature last month approved LB561, which establishes the framework for Nebraska's first casinos at horse racetracks, there is still quite a bit of work to be done to come up with a process for potential operators to apply for gaming licenses and for the government to approve them.
Tom Sage, director of the Nebraska Gaming and Racing Commission, said the commission Monday is scheduled to open and evaluate proposals it solicited from gaming consultants to review proposed rules and regulations for casino gaming in the state.
The commission wants to have a consultant in place and working by July 1, and that person would have four weeks to review the rules and provide a report, Sage said.
Once that process is complete, the commission must provide a 30-day public notice before holding a hearing on the proposed rules. They then would have to be reviewed by the Attorney General's office and approved by the governor, at which point they would go to the Secretary of State's office for official recognition.
That likely means it would be sometime in September at the earliest before casino operators could even apply for a license, and McNally said she expects the vetting process to take up to 30 days before a license is approved.
Not only do the entities running the casino have to get a license, but so do gaming vendors, she said.
Even though there are still months of work left before racetrack casinos can get started, McNally said she has no complaints about the process.
"As you can imagine, they don't want to give just anyone a license," she said. "They're doing what they should do."
10 most memorable concerts at Pinnacle Bank Arena
Nov. 9, 2013: Pink
Nov. 9, 2013: Pink
What I said then: "She’s also a brilliant performer, who has assembled a fine five-piece band, two backing singers, eight dancers, striking staging that makes great use of the video screens and lights to deliver a show that makes those of Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and the rest of the pop crowd look like high school musicals. And no other performer that I know of does the aerials and acrobatics at anywhere Pink’s level."
Nov. 23, 2013: Elton John
Nov. 23, 2013: Elton John
What I said then: “Elton John loves playing new buildings. On Saturday night, he made it to the Pinnacle Bank Arena, noting how happy he was to be playing there and delivering an incredible, exhilarating show that forged a connection between the legendary artist and the thousands who came to see him.”
July 14, 2014: Paul McCartney
July 14, 2014: Paul McCartney
What I said then: “There was a great rock 'n' roll show in Lincoln Monday night. It came from a legend, 50 years after he and his old band took over the world. That legend, of course, is Paul McCartney. The show was at a packed Pinnacle Bank Arena. None of the more than 12,000 people who were there are likely to ever forget it."
Jan. 17, 2015: Fleetwood Mac
Jan. 17, 2015: Fleetwood Mac
What I said then: “Midway through Fleetwood Mac’s Pinnacle Bank Arena concert Saturday night, drummer Mick Fleetwood suddenly became ill. The truncated set ran just over 90 minutes. Prior to the abrupt ending, Fleetwood Mac had pumped out 14 songs, all familiar to the 14,000-plus that packed the arena Saturday — and sounded and looked good doing it.”
July 11, 2015: Neil Young
July 11, 2015: Neil Young
What I said then: “Unlike nearly all his contemporaries who are content to vacuum up the cash with greatest-hits shows, the 69-year-old Young continues to plow forward, playing new songs and deep catalog material. That had him on point — in fine, strong voice throughout, fully committed and locked in with the band in a sharply constructed set.”
March 26, 2016: Carrie Underwood
March 26, 2016: Carrie Underwood
What I said then: “The 2005 'American Idol' winner is a great vocalist, with good range and striking control and the ability to sing the hell out of almost any song. … Underwood’s show ran nearly two hours long, included 22 songs from throughout her career, five dress changes and just enough talk to let her fully connect with the crowd."
Aug. 18, 2017: Kendrick Lamar
Aug. 18, 2017: Kendrick Lamar
What I said then: "Lamar’s widely regarded as today’s greatest rapper. As Friday’s show, songs and performance demonstrated, there’s an argument to be made that he’s already the greatest of all time."
Oct. 20, 2017: Garth Brooks
Oct. 20, 2017: Garth Brooks
What I said then: “Country music associations should either retire their entertainer of the year awards or name them after Garth Brooks. For no country performer, new or old, can hold a guitar, microphone or cowboy hat to the engaging, energetic Oklahoma superstar who kicked off a five-concert Pinnacle Bank Arena run with a joyous 2½-hour show Friday.”
March 24, 2018: Lorde
March 24, 2018: Lorde
What I said then: "Lorde delivered for nearly 90 minutes — as an artist, something she confessed midway through, saying, 'I’m not a real pop star.' … Nor was hers a standard pop show. That put the focus on Lorde, her emotive vocals and her distinctive electro-pop — all of which captivated the crowd, which appeared to be in the 6,000-to-7,000 range."
Oct. 2, 2018: Odesza
Oct. 2, 2018: Odesza
What I said then: “The electronic music production duo’s show is a beautiful spectacle carried by always-moving music. … With its use of lights, a video-projection screen at the back of the stage and the choreographed movements and imagery of the performers, Odesza put on a show in the truest sense of the word.”
Five great opening acts
* 2014: Cyndi Lauper opening for Cher (May 30)
* 2015: Chris Stapleton opening for Eric Church (May 20); Alice Cooper opening for Motley Crue (Dec. 4)
* 2016: The Pretenders opening for Stevie Nicks (Dec. 5)
* 2018: Jamey Johnson opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd (Oct. 6)
Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.
Matt Olberding
Business reporter
Matt Olberding is a Lincoln native and University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate who has been covering business for the Journal Star since 2005.
