Lake Mac Casino Opens Today in Ogallala With Live Racing and Gaming

Lake Mac, Nebraska's newest casino, opens near Ogallala on Tuesday.

Elite Casino Resorts and Nebraska entrepreneur Brian Becker will launch the 5/8 Quarter Horse racetrack and a temporary gaming area on Tuesday following the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission's approval of Lake Mac Casino's start plan.

At 1:00 PM MDT, gates open.  The first Quarter Horse race is slated for 3 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at 2 p.m.  After the race, the casino will open at approximately 4 p.m.

"This return of Quarter Horse racing to Nebraska is a major win for the local and agricultural economy in this area,” said Cynthia Smith, director of racing at the Nebraska Quarter Horse Racing Association. “Most importantly, this boosts the Nebraska Quarter Horse breeders and trainers who now have more opportunities closer to home. We all should be excited about what the future holds for the industry of running Quarter Horses in Nebraska in the coming years.”

According to Becker, Western Nebraska is home to the majority of the 13,500 quarter horse owners in the state.  The state's sole quarter horse racetrack is the Lake Mac Racetrack.

One kind of horse that is particularly good at short-distance running is the American Quarter Horse.  In the US, it is the most well-liked horse breed.

The Lake Mac Casino can be found next to Walmart at 777 Pony Express Lane, just south of Interstate 80.

Casino Temporary

The inauguration of the Lake Mac Casino on Tuesday will feature an Elite Sportsbook with a manned counter and self-betting kiosks, a dozen electronic table games, including roulette, blackjack, and bubble craps, and a temporary gaming section where Elite Casino Resorts will run about 300 slot machines.

Smoking is illegal in casinos in Nebraska.  Free booze is acceptable.

While Elite constructs the permanent casino and resort, the temporary casino will remain open.

A 37K-square-foot gaming floor featuring 650 slots, 20 live-dealer table games, and a sportsbook lounge are all part of the design.  Additionally proposed is a 180-room hotel with a convention center, an RV park, and a number of eateries and pubs.

Lake Mac will provide the state 20% of its gross gaming income, much like all other Nebraska casinos.  In order to lower homeowners' property taxes, the state will allocate 70% of its gaming profits to its Property Tax Credit Cash Fund.  The host county and city of each casino will get 25% of the state gaming funds, with the remaining 5% going to the state's General Fund and programs to help people with compulsive gambling.

Nebraska's west

A 2020 statewide referendum that permitted casino gaming at the six horse racetracks in the state gave Becker a casino chance.  In 2002, Becker established Hastings Exposition and Racing after purchasing Queen City Downs' racing license.

In order to construct a casino in Hastings, Becker first collaborated with the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma.  Becker sought a new partner in Elite after the Chickasaw gave up on the project after the local city council rejected the original plans.

Becker and Elite were looking for a more appealing market with less rivalry in the casino industry, since Elite was also responsible for the Grand Island Casino Resort at Fonner Park, which is about 30 minutes north of Hastings.  It was discovered in Ogallala.

Fonner Park, which is about three hours away by car, will continue to be the closest rival to Lake Mac Casino.  In addition to drawing gamblers from southeastern Wyoming and northeast Colorado, Lake Mac will profit from Lake McConaughy, a well-liked summertime resort, during the warmer months.