WarHorse Casino Omaha Reopens After it Was Temporarily Forced to Close

WarHorse Casino Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska reopened Thursday after it was temporarily shut down due to an HVAC issue.

The casino opened at Horsemen’s Park on August 6 but was forced to close its doors just over a week later. It was revealed that the issue was related to a failed water-based cooling system.

The issue only took about eight hours to resolve.

HVAC failure

The issue proved not to be that serious. Lance Morgan, president and Chief Executive Officer of WarHorse’s parent company Ho-Chunk Inc., said that issue was never a serious threat to public safety. 

No one was injured, and there was never any danger to our guests or employees,” said Morgan. “Unfortunately, we needed to temporarily close the casino to prevent damage to some of the electronic equipment in the facility.”

WarHorse Casino Omaha released a statement on its social media platforms immediately after the issue was resolved.

“Great news! WarHorse Omaha has resolved the HVAC issue, and we are now open and ready to welcome you back,” read the statement. “Thank you for your patience and support. Come on in and enjoy your favorite games — see you soon!”

The casino is one of five in Nebraska, along with those in Columbus, Grand Island, Lincoln, and South Sioux City. 

According to a law approved in November 2020, the Cornhusker State may not allow for more than five casinos at race tracks to be in operation at the same time. 

The Nebraska Gaming Commission has also been very hands-on since the first casinos were built.

Nebraska’s gaming ecosystem

WarHorse Omaha is Nebraska’s largest casino. The 58,000-square-foot facility offers more than 800 slot machines, 100 simulcast screens, 19 live-dealer table games, a sportsbook, a restaurant, and much more to its visitors. 

The casino is also expected to undergo expansion next spring, with plans already drafted for 400 new gaming stations, a smoking area, and more dining centers. 

"It's pretty surreal, we've been working on it for 5 years and to actually get to the point where you leave the planning and actually open the doors and let customers in, it's pretty exciting," Morgan said shortly before the grand opening.

The casino will pay a 20 percent tax on its gross gaming revenue. 70 percent of that will go to the state’s Property Tax Credit Cash Fund, 25 percent will flow to Douglas County (which contains Omaha), and the final five percent will help fund the COmpulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund.

The Property Tax Credit fund is especially important in Nebraska as many locals have struggled with the burden of the state’s steep property tax rate. 

Local legislators have held many discussions regarding ways to alleviate the burden, including legalizing online sports betting to further supply the relief fund.