Warhorse Omaha Casino opens for business

For the first time ever, Nebraska’s largest city has an operational casino.

The Warhorse Omaha Casino held its ribbon cutting Tuesday at Horsemen’s Park in Omaha.

It was the culmination of decades of work by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and Ho-Chunk Inc., the tribe’s economic development arm. President Lance Morgan said Winnebago people have fought through displacement and poverty.

Winnebago has grown, including the addition of Ho-Chunk Inc.’s Omaha casino.

“Our mission as a company is to create self-sufficiency for the tribe and job opportunities, and this checks two of those boxes,” Morgan said. “We’re going to have 400 and some employees on the first day. At some point, we’ll get up to about 800 here.”

Ho-Chunk employs many Winnebago Tribe members and non-Native people, Morgan said.

With the influx of casino tax money that will soon reach the Winnebago Tribe, Morgan said it hopes to buy back land, expand housing, education and the social safety net.

In the new casino Tuesday, Aaron LaPointe placed the first bet — giving the slots a try.

“I only put $1 in and bet 88 cents, and it did what I wanted it to do as one of the employees of Ho Chunk Inc.,” LaPointe said. “It took it all.”

LaPointe is the Chief Executive Officer of Ho-Chunk Farms and Ho-Chunk Capital, subsidiaries of Ho-Chunk Inc.

He didn’t win but said it was a cool experience and a proud moment. LaPointe’s late father, Daryl, was the Winnebago Tribe’s chair and held several other leadership positions with the tribe.

“This was something that’s been in the talks for a really long time, and there’s been a lot of past leaders that have helped pave the way to get to where we are, my father being one of them,” LaPointe said.

The money made from Omaha’s casino will stay in the state and help Nebraskans, LaPointe said.