Lowe, who heads the Legislature’s General Affairs Committee, told fellow members of the committee Friday that to get a full understanding of the impact of the new casinos, the study’s deadline should be put off until 2029 - after all six casinos might be up and running. That, he said, would give little time to gauge its impact if a report was due at the end of that year. John Lowe, who introduced the bill, said delays in construction of the racinos have meant that Nebraska’s first, full-blown casino - one including blackjack and other table games and not just slot machines - won’t be up and running until 2024. LB 311, however, would change the deadline for the study to 2029, rather than Jan. But other casinos would be permitted if a market and socio-economic study showed that additional racinos would not harm existing tracks or have detrimental impacts on issues such as retail sales, property values and divorce rates. Last year, in a compromise of sorts, a law was passed allowing the six tracks to have casinos. It also led to complaints from some western Nebraska officials, because initially, at least, no casinos will be allowed west of Grand Island.

In November 2020, Nebraska voters overwhelmingly approved casino gambling at the state’s six existing horse racetracks - so-called “racinos.” But several communities, including Bellevue, North Platte, Ogallala, Kimball and York, have indicated that they want to be allowed to build casinos, too. Holdcroft said it would be unfair to make communities like his and others hoping to build casinos to wait until 2030 to find out whether they can obtain a state license to build one. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue was among those arguing against the advancement of Legislative Bill 311, which seeks to delay a state-required report on the impact of the new casinos from Jan. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue (Craig Chandler/University Communication)

They helped block advancement of a bill to delay until 2029 a required market study on the impact of casino gambling, including whether it would have a detrimental or positive financial impact on existing racetrack/casinos. LINCOLN - Proponents of allowing casinos at more than the six existing horse-racing tracks in Nebraska scored a victory of sorts last week.

Casino timings omaha