- Nebraska’s five casinos won $28.1 million in July, up 31.8% from $21.3 million a year earlier.
- WarHorse Omaha led all properties at $10.7 million, up 33.3% from July 2025.
- Slot machines produced $24.4 million of the statewide total, an 87% share of all gaming revenue.
- WarHorse broke ground Aug. 27 on a $100 million South Sioux City casino targeted for 2027.
LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska’s five racetrack casinos won $28,075,411 in July, up 31.8% from $21.3 million in the same month last year, according to gaming tax figures posted by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. The total puts Nebraska casino revenue about $11,000 behind March 2026, the only month that has produced more since the first casino opened in Lincoln in September 2022.
Omaha Leads A Five-Casino Field
WarHorse Casino Omaha reported $10.7 million in gross gaming revenue for July, the largest take in the market, according to the commission’s monthly revenue breakdown. WarHorse Casino Lincoln followed at $8.1 million, Grand Island Casino & Resort at $5.5 million, Harrah’s Columbus at $2.3 million and Lake Mac Casino & Resort in Ogallala at $1.4 million.
| Casino | July revenue | Change vs. July 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| WarHorse Casino Omaha | $10,704,240 | +33.3% |
| WarHorse Casino Lincoln | $8,132,833 | +23.4% |
| Grand Island Casino & Resort | $5,504,029 | +23.2% |
| Harrah’s Columbus | $2,318,959 | +4.8% |
| Lake Mac Casino & Resort | $1,415,350 | n/a (opened August 2025) |
Every property open a year ago grew, according to the commission’s calendar-2025 figures. The four casinos operating in July 2025 combined for $26.7 million this July, a 25.2% same-store increase, with Lake Mac’s first-year revenue supplying the rest of the gain.
A Market Still Filling In
Nebraska voters approved casino gaming at licensed racetracks in November 2020, and the market is still adding capacity rather than trading sideways. Through July, the state’s casinos have won $187.6 million in 2026, up 32.5% from $141.6 million over the same seven months of 2025. July’s total also rose 12.8% from June’s $24.9 million.
Slots carried the month, winning $24.4 million against $2.5 million from table games, $559,033 from electronic table games and $574,488 from retail sports betting. That 87% slot share ranks Nebraska among the most machine-driven states with slots.
Nebraska has no statewide mobile betting, so its gaming revenue depends entirely on who walks into the buildings. The commission’s reports track casino win rather than machine returns, which are compiled separately in slot payout percentages by state.
July Tax Take Tops $5.6 Million
Nebraska taxes gross gaming revenue at 20%, and July’s play generated $5.6 million, bringing the 2026 total to $37.5 million. The state’s Property Tax Credit Cash Fund receives 70% of the levy, $3.9 million for July and $26.3 million so far this year, with the balance split between the host city and county at 12.5% each and two state funds at 2.5% each.
Third WarHorse Casino Underway In South Sioux City
WarHorse Gaming, a subsidiary of Ho-Chunk Inc., the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s economic development corporation, broke ground Aug. 27 on a $100 million casino and hotel in South Sioux City, adjacent to the Atokad Downs racetrack. The company said the project will carry about 600 slot machines, 16 table games and a 100-room hotel, making it the third WarHorse casino in the state after Lincoln and Omaha.
The property adds a new corner of the state to a market whose growth has so far come from a handful of cities mostly along Interstate 80. WarHorse has said gaming operations could begin in late 2027, with full construction taking longer.
