WarHorse Gaming announced on Thursday it has received the first two provisional licenses to open up casinos at horse racing tracks in Nebraska from the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission.
The licenses were issued following the commission giving final approval to licensing fees last week. WarHorse paid 2 million dollars in initial fees for the licenses.
The company will have to pass a background check before the licenses are fully issued.
“We are very appreciative for how fast the Commission turned around and issued us a provisional licenses. As you can imagine, we are very anxious to begin construction, create jobs, and start keeping the money in Nebraska,” said Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk, Inc., parent company of WarHorse Gaming, LLC, in a news release from the company.
The licenses will allow the company to obtain financing and begin recruiting employees.
The company says it hopes to have the Lincoln casino open by the end of this year and the Omaha casino open in the first half of 2023.