WarHorse Lincoln’s expansion is already paying off.
The casino opened a new area on Nov. 4, adding new attractions like roulette and blackjack tables along with about 400 new slot machines, and it helped lead to a record month.
The casino reported gaming revenue of about $6.9 million in November, according to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. That was the highest monthly total ever not just for WarHorse Lincoln, but for any of the state's racetrack casinos. The casino’s average monthly revenue before November was about $4.6 million.
The casino's jump in revenue after the November expansion also means that the state of Nebraska will receive more tax revenue from the casino. The Racing and Gaming Commission reported that nearly $1.4 million would be collected as tax revenue from the casino for November.
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The casino has produced about $10.6 million in gaming tax revenue this year. By law, 70% of that revenue will go to a state property tax relief fund. The majority of the remaining money goes to the city and county.
The new table games and electronic table games brought in a combined total of about $490,000, according to the commission. But, the casino’s biggest gains came from its slot machines.
Slot machines brought in about $5.8 million in November, well above the $4.4 million monthly average in the first 10 months of the year.
Sports betting also had a big month, with revenue almost triple what it usually is. WarHorse's sportsbook brought in about $660,000 in November when the average had been about $230,000 for the previous months of the year.
WarHorse CEO Lance Morgan said the popularity of sports betting has been phenomenal. The casino's second phase added a new area for people to watch the games and races, and he said the new area is more conducive to sports betting.
Lance Morgan
“There's a lot more space dedicated to sports betting, and people love to bet on football,†Morgan said.
The only thing the casino is still waiting on is dealers for its craps tables. Morgan said dealers are still being trained, and although a class has completed the training, there aren’t yet enough dealers for a full team. The casino has an electronic craps table but plans to eventually have a dealer-operated table.
The November expansion was the casino’s largest addition since opening in 2022, but there is still more to come.
“I think of it as a progression,†Morgan said. “You know, in Lincoln we opened another phase, but we have a third-phase plan to double the size again.â€
Morgan said the new phase won't just include gaming space, but also office space, a restaurant called the Big Fire Chophouse and a food court.
"It'll just have a few more amenities and options," Morgan said. "And so we're excited about that. And then it will also really develop out the horse racing area so they can hold more races."
The third phase is also starting to grow beyond the casino’s original plan.
The Lincoln City Council on Monday approved an increase to the number of gaming locations at WarHorse Lincoln from 1,210 to 1,350 for its third phase, following an application from the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.
The changes enacted by the council also intend to improve access to the casino on West Denton Road, according to the application.
The Lincoln casino’s performance justifies the investment of about $80 million to $100 million for the next phase, Morgan said.
“It justifies that capital investment because Lincoln is such a strong market, and we think that we'll just keep investing again,†Morgan said.
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Top Journal Star photos for December 2024
University of Nebraska - Lincoln sophomore geography major Maxwell Anderson, also known as Jersey Guy, has gone viral for wearing a different jersey to his class every day, Anderson says he has around 100 different jerseys.Â
Nebraska's Lexi Rodriguez (right) pancake-digs a ball during the fourth set of a third round NCAA tournament match against Dayton on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
Homeless man "Papa" George arranges his tent at a north Lincoln camp site, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Lincoln.
Kiptara Thomas (back center), Grace Taylor (front center), and Ayla Brosman (right) prepare in the dressing room ahead of a dress rehearsal for "The Nutcracker" on Thursday at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.Â
Nebraska's Brice Williams (left) dances with Juwan Gary after the Huskers' win against Indiana on Friday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Allie Christianson (top right), a senior community organizer with Civic Nebraska, speaks during an event Thursday at NeighborWorks Lincoln's office formally kicking off an initiative to ban source-of-income discrimination for renters.
Ariana Cunningham, playing Clara (right), practices dancing backstage during a rehearsal for "The Nutcracker" at the Lied Center for Performing Arts on Thursday.
Wisconsin's CC Crawford (left) celebrates a kill by Sarah Franklin (13) during the first set of a third round NCAA tournament match against Texas A&M on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Ruby Augustine blows out the candles on her birthday cake during her 105th birthday party on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at the Legacy Retirement Community.
Cicely Wardyn of Lincoln adjusts an outdoor heater next to a Nativity scene during the Hometown Christmas event Sunday at the Governor's Mansion.
Eddie Walters, dressed as the Grinch, leads the pack of runners along the Billy Wolff trail during the Santa Fun Run on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
Nebraska plays against Florida A&M in an NCAA tournament game on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Fourth grade student Lulu Kulwick carries her review worksheet to meet with her teacher during computer science class. Each student was asked to analyze how fun, challenging and easy to understand each game was, and discuss what they thought was a good aspect to the game, and what could use some work.
Ben Heppner is illuminated by morning light as he waits for the start of the Santa Fun Run on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, inside the Fleet Feet store.
Nebraska head coach Amy Williams (left) and Callin Hake (14) cheer for their team after a defensive stop during the third quarter of the game against Minnesota on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
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Lincoln North Star's J'Shawn Afun (10) and Mekhi Wayne-Browne (11) battle Lincoln Southeast's Jaydee Dongrin (21) for a rebound in the first half on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at Lincoln Southeast High School.
Miami's Flormarie Heredia Colon (left) and Ashley Carr celebrate a point against South Dakota State during an NCAA first-round match, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
Workers pull up the Capitol Christmas tree on Monday at the Capitol. The 22-foot Colorado spruce from Walton was selected by the Office of the Capitol Commission to be this year’s annual Christmas tree.
Jenni Watson helps to arrange chairs for New Covenant Community Church's first service in their repaired main auditorium on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, at New Covenant Community Church.
New Covenant Community Church is nearing completion of six months of reconstruction project after a fire in May damages the church. While the building was not fully consumed by fire, there was significant water damage to the main auditorium and the first floor south wing.
Jack, the dog, lifts his leg on the Christmas tree that his owners David and Karen Petersen of Hickman chose as Max Novak helps them on Saturday at Prairie Woods tree farm in Hallam.Â
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Lincoln Northwest senior Kynzee McFadden (top right) works with her teammates as they compete in an identifying game on the Anatomage Table on Tuesday at Lincoln Northwest High School.
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Dahlia Brandon of Lincoln tickles her 15-month-old daughter, Gema, with a stuffed animal while shopping at HobbyTown on Saturday. The toy and game store nearly doubled its sales on Black Friday from last year.
Nebraska's Berke Büyüktuncel (left) and South Dakota's Max Burchill (3) reach for the ball during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
