On April 30, 2021, Lincoln South Rotary Club heard from Lynne McNally of Nebraska Horsemen.
Lynne McNally of Nebraska Horsemen's Association talked about the development of the new horse racing facilities in Nebraska.
They are working with the HoChunk organization out of South Sioux City to build and run the facilities. They will have the name of Warhorse. From a news relese:
"Ho-Chunk Inc. announced it has formed WarHorse Gaming LLC. The LLC will serve as a partnership between the company and the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). Ho-Chunk is the economic development arm for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska."
The Lincoln facility will open first and will be the best of the three facilities. Next will be Omaha. The Lincoln and Omaha properties are owned by the Nebraska Horsemen's Association. Then they will be updating the facility in South Sioux City which is owned by Ho-Chunk. Ho-Chunk currently employs 1700 and they have 13 divisions including the construction division which will be building the facilities.
Lincoln was the first city to pass zoning specifically to allow for casinos and horse racing. So plans are firmly in place. However, Lynne pointed out the current shortage of some construction materials which will cause a delay in the opening.
Of the three casinos, Lincoln will be the Crown Jewel. There will be 3-level parking facility and a multi-level hotel. The rooms facing the race track will have balconies for viewing the races.
There will be event space, spa and entertainment space. They also plan to provide outdoor entertainment (similar to Stir Cove at Harrah's in Council Bluffs). The casino will have 1300 gaming positions including table games and slot machines.
The plans are for 5 dining opportunities from steak house to casual to coffee house. They will be using Nebraska companies and will also likely have Nebraska brewed beer available.
For horse racing, there will be approximately 900 stalls. Currently there is a 7/8 track but there are plans to expand to a mile. They hope to bring back hotwalkers (those that help exercise the horses) which is often now done mechanically. They are building a grandstand that will hold 5000 inside and outside plus there is the apron area for viewers.
The Omaha facility will be smaller as the property is about only 72 acres and is land-locked. It is a retired landfill and this is one of the few uses that can be placed on retired landfills. Lynne said they have found some interesting items as they have been digging. Omaha will not have a hotel or any entertainment space.
Lynne said that they currently have fairly low purses (winnings to the horse owners). They will likely gradually increase the amounts. High purses tend to attract a higher quality of horse. But that can also attract many out of state horses. She told a story of one track that had increased the purses so high that it caused many of the local owners to go out of business. Lynne stated that they will continue to be loyal to the local members.
Besides providing employment opportunities, Lynne said they are proud that the new casinos will provide some property tax relief.
Renderings of the Lincoln facility:
The National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) is a non-profit corporation which acts as a trade association working to improve the economic health and public acceptance of the Thoroughbred horse industry in the United States and Canada. The HBPA seeks to improve business conditions for Thoroughbred horsemen and their employees, advance the industry in general, promote cooperation among horsemen of all breeds, and represent the interests of Thoroughbred horsemen before state and federal governments, industry organizations, and trade associations.
BIO
Lynne McNally is the executive vice president of Nebraska Horsemen and is currently working on casino efforts in both Lincoln and Omaha.
Her organization works to improve the economic health and public acceptance of the Thoroughbred horse industry. Also, to advance the industry in general, promote cooperation among horsemen of all breeds and represent the interests of Thoroughbred horsemen before state and federal governments, industry organizations and trade associations.
Lynne has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Nebraska and a law degree from Pepperdine Law.