WarHorse Omaha Back Open Following HVAC Issue that Temporarily Closed Casino

Posted on: August 16, 2024, 10:34h. 

Last updated on: August 16, 2024, 10:50h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

WarHorse Casino Omaha is back open following a temporary closure that company officials say was related to an HVAC issue.

Nebraska WarHorse Omaha casino
People wait to enter WarHorse Casino Omaha during its grand opening celebration on Aug. 6, 2024. The Nebraska casino temporarily shuttered this week after a central cooling system failed. The AC was restored about eight hours later. (Image: Nebraska Public Media)

WarHorse Casino Omaha opened at Horsemen’s Park in Nebraska on August 6. A line of people seeking to be among the casino’s first gamblers rushed the gaming floor to place bets on the facility’s 800 slot machines and 19 live dealer table games. WarHorse Omaha also offers a sportsbook.

Just a little more than a week later, the fun momentarily paused after casino officials forced guests out and shuttered the property to allow heating and air conditioning service people to repair a water-based cooling system that failed.  

No one was injured, and there was never any danger to our guests or employees,” said Lance Morgan, president and chief executive officer of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the parent company of WarHorse Casino Omaha. “Unfortunately, we needed to temporarily close the casino to prevent damage to some of the electronic equipment in the facility.”

Ho-Chunk, Inc. is the commercial business arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. After Nebraskans approved commercial casino gambling at the state’s licensed horse racetracks in 2020, Ho-Chunk partnered with the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) to develop their tracks into casinos.

WarHorse Omaha Reopens

The HVAC repair people didn’t need long to remedy the AC system failure. After about eight hours, WarHorse Casino Omaha reopened Thursday night.

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

WarHorse Omaha’s August opening was only the first phase of the development. Ho-Chunk says next year it will add additional gaming machines and table games to the casino floor and open additional amenities, including new restaurants.

WarHorse Omaha currently has a quick-service restaurant and bar called Sweetwater. The restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to midnight on the weekends.

WarHorse Lincoln Nearing Completion

The second of possibly three WarHorse casinos that Ho-Chunk will open in partnership with the NHBPA comes by way of Lincoln.

WarHorse Casino Lincoln at the capital city’s Lincoln Race Course, now called Legacy Downs, opened in September 2022. The casino features a smaller gaming space with about 400 slots and a sportsbook but no table games. The Lincoln casino is more focused on conventions and leisure travelers than gamblers, as the property is soon to open a 220-room hotel and an events center.

Nebraska’s gaming law requires that casinos be 100% smoke-free. That differs from casinos in Nebraska’s neighboring states where tobacco smoking is allowed anywhere in Iowa and Kansas and designated areas in Missouri.