Owner of Hastings Racetrack looking to move to Ogallala casino resort
Brian Becker, owner of Hastings Exposition and Racing, Inc., Nebraska, wants to move his state-issued racing license 200 miles west to Oga Ogallala, the entrance to the state's panhandle.
Nebraska's commercial gambling bill, approved by state voters during the 2020 election, would allow the state's licensed racetracks to become Las Vegas-style casinos, offering slot machines, live dealer table games and sports betting .
Fairplay Park at Hastings Fair and Racecourse is one of six tracks approved to host a casino. Other tracks include Knights Park in Omaha, Lincoln Raceway, Agricultural Park in Columbus, Fonner Park in Grand Island and the closed Atokad Downs in South Sioux City.
Becker initially worked for the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, a wealthy tribe with extensive experience in casino gaming operations. The partnership proposes building a casino resort with a new racecourse on the northern edge of Hastings.
Hastings Council rejected the development in March 2022 after a group of residents objected to the project, before agreeing to reconsider its decision in November. However, Becker has found a new playing partner and a new host city in Ogallala.
Moving Plan
On Tuesday, Becker announced a new partnership with Elite Casino Resorts of Iowa, a leading gaming operator in the Midwest. Hastings Racing and Elite want to build a casino resort and racetrack in Ogallala.
The resort will be called Mai Lake Casino Resort and Racetrack. Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area is a popular outdoor recreation area, a 30,000-acre park with white sand beaches, clear waters and ample opportunities for camping, boating, swimming and hunting.
The $100 million course covers 174 acres and features 650 slot machines, 20 live dealer tables and a dedicated poker room on the casino floor. The resort will feature a 180-room hotel, an events center, numerous restaurants, an RV park and a pool and spa.
Brian Jorde, a spokesman for Hastings Racing and Exposition, said the overall plan is to create a Quarter Horse track that includes a new track in Ogallala and a second new track. If the move is approved, the company could get a new name. In Gering will be created at some point in the future.
Western Nebraska was always left out," Joad said. "The plan was to have the project in Ogallala and then have it in Jellen and have a Quarter Horse in between the two sites. road. "
Becker said Elite was an attractive partner because the gaming company, like his Hastings Racing, has been around for decades.
“This is a perfect partnership to help grow the quarter racing industry,” commented Becker.
Mobile License
Elite Casino Resort has secured a casino project at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Nebraska, through a partnership with the Hall County Livestock Improvement Association. Elite is investing $100 million to build a 37,000-square-foot casino there that will also include about 650 slot machines and 20 gaming tables.
Under Elite's project, called the Grand Island Casino Resort, the company believes locating the Hastings Fair Casino further west will allow both properties to be successful.
Joad said Hastings, who is seeking state approval to move to Ogallala, is "doing everyone a favor."
The state approval must come from the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. Joad said the group submitted its relocation plan to state horse racing and gaming regulators on Tuesday. There is currently no timetable for when the state will vote on the move.
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Source: www.casino.org
