LINCOLN — The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission has unanimously approved the transfer of a racing license from a racetrack in Hastings to a new facility in Ogallala.

Commissioners voted 7-0 Friday to approve the transfer of the license to Hastings Exposition and Racing Inc. The company plans to partner with Elite Casino Resorts, which owns the Grand Island resort, and plans to develop a multi-track quarter horse racing circuit in western Nebraska.

The Hastings company had been trying to get a “racino” going for years, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a site that would have been about 17 to 20 miles from Grand Island’s Fonner Park. Last summer, the company announced plans to transfer the license.

State law allows for a one-time license transfer because Hastings was one of the state’s “original” racetrack locations. The transfer must be to a county in Nebraska that does not already have a racetrack; in this case, the license moves from Adams County to Keith County.

A market survey in June showed that this step would be positive.

Uniformity with other locations in Nebraska

Commissioner Shane Greckel said the commissioners had answered final questions at Friday’s meeting, so he was “very happy to move forward with it.”

“I was happy to see that industry grow, because quarter horses haven’t had that yet,” Greckel said Friday night. “It’s fun to see.”

Greckel said some of his questions were about process. He wanted to ensure uniformity with other locations in Lincoln, Columbus and Ogallala, saying consistency is the foundation of good government.

He further explained that the planned Lake Mac Casino Resort and Racetrack, which would be located on the southwest corner of Interstate 80 and Highway 26, would be a “tremendous opportunity.”

Lake McConaughy, for example, is already a “destination event,” with the resort offering year-round entertainment and a new venue for quarter horse racing. Nebraska has more quarter horses than thoroughbreds, he said.

The transfer would also address the need and demand for agricultural products in western Nebraska.

“Let’s face it, Omaha and Lincoln, eastern Nebraska, are very developed,” Greckel said. “We need to work on our neighbors to the west and help them make sure they have the same type of entertainment and investment that the eastern part has. This is just the next step.”

WarHorse opens on August 6

The commissioners unanimously decided on Friday that WarHorse Casino can open its doors in Omaha from August 6.

In other news, four finalists have already been selected for the position of Executive Director of the Gaming Commission.

A new state law, House Bill 839, which went into effect April 3, gives Gov. Jim Pillen the authority to approve the commission’s selection.

The committee will give Pillen a name after its meeting in August. The finalists:

• Casey Ricketts, the commission’s compliance officer, was named interim director in January after former director Tom Sage announced his retirement.
• Senator John Lowe of Kearney, chairman of the Legislature’s General Affairs Committee, introduced LB 839 in the spring.
• Laurie Holman, a research analyst for the House General Affairs Committee, was responsible for previous legislation expanding horse racing and casino gambling.
• Seward Mayor Joshua L. Eickmeier, executive director of the Nebraska Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board, who previously served as legal counsel to the General Affairs Committee.

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