- Elite Casino Resorts has applied for a gaming license to operate a casino at Fonner Park.
- If approved, the Iowa-based company plans to open a temporary casino site before the end of the year.
- Construction for the permanent casino will begin in 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2023.
Elite Casino Resorts has filed for a gaming license to build a casino at Grand island’s Fonner Park last Jun 28th.
ICYMI: Elite Casino Resorts, which plans to build a casino at Grand Island’s Fonner Park, submitted its Nebraska gaming license application on Tuesday. Construction of a permanent casino is expected to start in 2023. https://t.co/mN3L9g70pc
— The Grand Island Independent (@theindependent) June 30, 2022
If approved by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, the Iowa-based company plans to open a temporary casino inside the existing Fonner Park facility before the end of the current year.
In a statement, Elite Casino Resorts CEO Dan Kehl said:
“Should approval be received, Grand Island Casino Resort at Fonner Park will open as a temporary casino inside the existing Fonner Park facility by late 2022 with 300 slot machines, live table games, and a grab-and-go dining option.”
Construction of Permanent Casino to Start in 2023
Construction of the permanent casino will begin in 2023 and is expected to be completed sometime in 2025. The facility will have a 37,500-square-foot casino floor, 650 slot machines, 20 table games, a retail sportsbook, and a 116-room boutique hotel.
Among the non-gaming amenities are four restaurants which include a rooftop dining option, a show lounge and sports bar, a salon and spa, a gift shop, and an indoor and outdoor pool “with an expansive deck”. The property will also have a 400-stall parking garage.
Cornhusker State Begins Accepting Applications
The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission began accepting casino license applications this month after Gov. Pete Ricketts signed off the rules to allow casinos in the Cornhusker State. The commission has already granted a provisional casino license to WarHorse Gaming, a company formed by Ho-Chunk Inc. and the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.
Elite Casino Resorts operates three Iowa casinos – Riverside Casino & Golf Resort which is located South of Iowa City, Rhythm City Casino Resort in Quad Cities, and Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort in Larchwood. Aside from Grand Island, Elite Casino Resorts is developing Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort in Carterville, Illinois. Aside from its casinos, Elite Casino Resorts also operates the Elite Sportsbook which has retail and online operations in Colorado and Iowa.
