Blackbird Bend Casino – The Friendliest Casino Around! Recently, a controversial proposal by the Ponca tribe of Nebraska was approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission. It will allow the tribe to build a casino in Carter Lake, Iowa, which sits geographically on the west side of the Missouri River, adjacent to Omaha, where casinos are illegal. All four Nebraska casinos are located on the eastern side of the state, but there are no Omaha, Nebraska casinos, nor are there casinos in Lincoln, Nebraska. The closest gambling property would be Native Star Casino in Winnebago, located about 90 miles north of Omaha. Try an online casino for FREE. We have over 15 No Deposit Bonus Codes.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Some of the biggest conservative names in Nebraska politics lined up Monday against ballot measures to legalize casinos, which they argue would fuel an increase in gambling addictions and related social problems.

Voters will decide next month whether to allow casinos at state-licensed race tracks in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Columbus and South Sioux City. In-person, early voting for the general election started Monday.

Opponents of the legalization measure drew vocal support from Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Kay Orr, former Nebraska football coach U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne, and a handful of state lawmakers.

“We feel that these initiatives are certain to damage that quality of living,” Osborne said. He said the people affected most “will be the family, spouses and children of those have a gambling problem.”

Backers argue that the three measures, which would legalize, tax and regulate the industry, would create jobs and a new source of state tax revenue.

Opponents tried to keep the issue off the ballot with a lawsuit in September, but the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that the question can go to voters.

Ricketts said Nebraskans are generally prudent, fiscally responsible and take care of their families, and “casino gambling is opposed to all of those values.”

He pointed to the high-profile cases of former state Sen. Brenda Council, a lawyer who pleaded guilty in 2012 to misdemeanor charges, lost her reelection bid and was disbarred after she admitted to using campaign money to gamble at casinos. Ricketts also cited a Lincoln pharmacist who was sentenced to prison in 2016 for defrauding the Medicaid system out of $14.4 million so he could gamble.

“We already fight gambling addition here in our state,” Ricketts said. “This will make it so much worse.”

Backers counter that Nebraska already has gambling-related problems because of the legal casinos in neighboring Iowa, just a short drive from Omaha across the Missouri River. The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska recently opened a casino in Carter Lake, a town that’s technically a part of Iowa but is located on the western side of the Missouri River and surrounded by Omaha.

A call to the pro-casino group Keep the Money in Nebraska wasn’t immediately returned Monday.

Supporters also say casinos will create jobs and help the state’s struggling horse-racing industry. The main group behind the ballot campaign is Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, which has worked on other job-creation projects in Nebraska and Iowa.

Casino In Omaha Nebraska

Pat Loontjer, executive director of the anti-casino group Gambling with the Good Life, said she expects to be outspent by gambling supporters but still plan to campaign against it. The group successfully derailed similar ballot measures in the early 2000s.

Nate Grasz, policy director of the Nebraska Family Alliance, said he’s concerned that casinos will exploit low-income residents, who make up a large portion of the industry’s customer base.

“We cannot protect the poor and vulnerable in our state while simultaneously inviting in an industry that relies on blatantly exploiting the poor and the vulnerable,” he said.

Former Republican Govs. Dave Heineman and Mike Johanns and Democratic Gov. Bob Kerrey have also voiced opposition to casino gambling.

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Nebraska has four Indian casinos. Two of these casinos are owned and operated by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. The other casinos are owned by the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and the Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska.

Three gambling ballot measures were passed by Nebraska voters in Nov. 2020 allowing casino gambling at horse racing tracks. The Winnebago Tribe will build casino facilities at Horsemen's Park in Omaha, Lincoln Racecourse in Lincoln, and Atokad in South Sioux City. More information

The new gaming laws will also add new types of casino games offered at the existing Indian casinos in Nebraska.

News Headlines

New Casinos - Opening 2021-2022

Warhorse Casino Omaha
Horsemen's Park
6303 Q St
Omaha, NE 68117

Warhorse Casino Lincoln
Lincoln Race Course
7055 S. 1st Street
Lincoln, NE 68512

Warhorse Casino South Sioux City
Atokad Park
Interstate 29
South Sioux City, NE

List of Nebraska Indian Casinos

Iron Horse Bar & Casino
1010 South Main Street
Emerson, Nebraska 68733-3654
(402) 695-0180

Lucky 77 Casino
200 Main St
Walthill, NE 68067
(402) 846-5545

Native Star Casino
Highway 77
Winnebago, NE

Ohiya Casino
RR2, Box 163
52946 Highway 12 Suite 2
Niobrara, Nebraska 68760
(402) 857-3860

Prairie Flower Casino
1031 Ave H
Carter Lake, IA 51510
888-WIN-MORE

Nebraska Tribes and Their Casinos

Ponca Tribe of Nebraska
2523 Woodbine Street, PO BOX 288, Niobrara NE 68760
Phone Number: 402-857-3391

Carter Lake Casino
1031 Ave H
Carter Lake, IA 51510
888-WIN-MORE

Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
P.O. Box 368, Macy NE 68039.
Phone Number: (402) 837-5391 Fax Number: (402) 837-5308

Santee Sioux Nation
108 Spirit Lake Avenue West, Niobrara, Nebraska 68760.
Phone Number: (402) 857-2772 Fax Number: (402) 857-2779

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
100 Bluff Street, Winnebago, Nebraska 68071.
Phone Number: (402) 878-3103 Fax Number: (402) 878-2963

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Iowa-Based Casinos Owned by Nebraska Tribes

Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
P.O. Box 368
Macy, NE 68039
(402) 837-5391

Blackbird Bend Casino
(formerly CasinOmaha)
P.O. Box 89
Onawa, IA 51040

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
P.O. Box 687
Winnebago, NE 68071
(402) 878-2272

News Articles

Winnebago Tribe forms subsidiary to develop racetrack casinos

December 23, 2020

Winnebago Tribe forms new casino subsidiary

Ho-Chunk Inc, the economic development subsidiary of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, has incorporated a new enterprise named WarHorse Gaming LLC. The new company will partner with the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) in developing three new casinos at the racetracks in Omaha, Lincoln and South Sioux City. The casino operations will be managed by WarHorse Gaming

Nebraska voters approved a constitutional amendment to repeal the state ban on casino gambling in last month's election. WarHorse Gaming and the HBPA are hoping to open some limited amount of casino gaming later in 2021 with full-casino operations opening in 2022.

The new casinos will be added to Horsemen's Park in Omaha, Lincoln Racecourse in Lincoln, and Atokad in South Sioux City.

Back Full Page >Nebraska Casinos Updates 2021

2020 Election: Nebraska voters approve casino gambling

November 8, 2020

Nebraska voters approved three ballot measures this week to allow casino gambling at the horse racing tracks in Nebraska. The votes averaged two to one in favor of the 'Keep the Money in Nebraska' campaign.

A major supporter and donor to 'Keep the Money in Nebraska' was Ho-Chunk Inc., an economic development company owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Ho-Chunk plans to build new casinos at existing racetracks in South Sioux, Omaha and Lincoln. Ho-Chunk has formed a new company, WarHorse Gaming LCC, to manage these three casinos.

Construction could begin as early as Spring 2021. It is expected to take six months to open casino gambling at Lincoln and Omaha where existing buildings already exist. There is no building at Atokad racetrack near South Sioux. That location will take nine months to open the casino.

Back Full Page >Nebraska Casinos Updates 2021

Nebraska Supreme Court allows casino measures on Nov 3 ballot

September 15, 2020

The State Supreme Court overruled Secretary of State Bob Evnen's decision to block three pro-gambling initiatives from the Nov ballot. In a 4-3 decision the Court ruling will place the issues on the Nov. ballot for voters to decide whether or not to authorize casino gambling at Nebraska horse tracks.

If voter approve the casino measure, the state constitution will be amended. This will indirectly allow Native American tribes to also become eligible for Class III casino gambling under the U.S. Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The 'Keep the Money in Nebraska' campaign is sponsored by the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, Omaha Exposition and Racing and the Winnebago Tribe's Ho-Chunk Inc.

Back Full Page >Nebraska Casinos Updates 2021

Nebraska pulls casino measure from Nov 3 ballot

September 4, 2020

Secretary of State Bob Evnen has blocked the 'Keep the Money in Nebraska (KMN)' casino measure from the November ballot after reviewing the wordage in the voter petition submitted in July with 475,000 signatures.

The measure would have authorized Nebraska racetracks to add Class III casino gambling. Class III gambling is defined by the U.S. Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) as 'house-banked' games, such as slot machines and table games.

If passed this November, the Nebraska Indian casinos would indirectly qualify for Class III gaming too under the federal IGRA law. Secretary Evnen cited this issue as the reason for stopping the ballot measure since it is not explicitly mentioned in the measure.

There are currently five tribal casinos. Each operates under Class I and II gaming rules.

Iron Horse Bar & Casino - Class I & II casino
1010 S. Main Street, Emerson, NE 68733-3654

Lucky 77 Casino - Class I & II casino
200 Main St, Walthill, NE 68067

Native Star Casino - Class I & II casino
Highway 77, Winnebago, NE

Ohiya Casino - Class I & II casino
52946 Highway 12, Niobrara, NE 68760

Prairie Flower Casino - Class I & II casino
1031 Ave H, Carter Lake, IA 51510

Ho-Chunk Inc., the development company of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, plans to sue the State of Nebraska for pulling the measure. Ho-Chunk is supported by the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association which represents the state's six racetracks. The tracks are located in Grand Island, Lincoln, Omaha, Columbus, Hastings, and South Sioux City.

Back Full Page >Nebraska Casinos Updates 2021

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News Headlines Continued

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