A new Quarter Horse racetrack and a casino resort near Lake McConaughy in Ogallala, Nebraska, was announced the week.

© Lake Mac Casino Resort™

OGALLALA, NE–JULY 24, 2024–The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission (NRGC) has unanimously approved a request to transfer a horse racetrack license from Hastings to a new facility in Ogallala.

The move allows Brian Becker's Hastings Exposition and Racing, Inc. to transfer its state-issued horse racing license from Fairplay Park to Ogallala, roughly 200 miles west.

A new partnership with Elite Casino Resorts, an Iowa-based entity, will develop a Quarter Horse racetrack and a casino resort near Lake McConaughy. The Lake Mac Casino Resort & Racetrack project involves an investment of $100 million and is planned for a 178-acre site near Interstate 80 and Highway 26.

Nebraska voters approved a ballot referendum in 2020 to legalize commercial casino gambling and in-person sports betting at the state's six-horse racetracks.

Fairplay Park, previously the westernmost of these racetracks, will move significantly further west. The 2020 referendum provided a unique chance for racetrack owners to relocate their licenses to areas with more market potential, provided they construct a new racetrack, conduct live racing, and secure local government approval.

Becker had partnered with the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma to build a casino in Hastings. However, after the Hastings City Council objected, the plan shifted to Ogallala and a new alliance with Elite Casino Resorts.

Elite is also involved in transforming Fonner Park in Grand Island into the Grand Island Casino Resort, which is expected to open next year. A temporary casino has been operating at Fonner Park since December 2022. Given Hastings’ proximity to Fonner Park, pursuing the Ogallala location was deemed more profitable. Lake McConaughy, a popular summer destination with its 30,000-acre state park, presents an opportunity free of significant competition.

"We are thrilled to bring a first-class resort, grow out-of-state tourism, add jobs, and invest $100 million into Ogallala and Western Nebraska," said Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts. The NRGC commissioners echoed this enthusiasm, noting the expansion of the state horse racing industry westward. “Fonner Park and Hastings had been our western frontier. We’re going to move that hundreds of miles to the west,” commented Dennis Lee, chair of the NRGC. "Ogallala really has a unique opportunity to open racing and gaming to Western Nebraska."

The proposed Lake Mac Casino Resort will feature a 37,000-square-foot casino floor with 650 slot machines, 14 live dealer table games, and a sportsbook. Additional amenities include a hotel, convention center, multiple dining options, rooftop restaurant, RV lot, truck stop and travel center.