Casino Omaha to be rebuilt

I was bored last night, so I read the annual report from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Tribe (Mystic Lake, MN). They gave a $1.5MM grant to the Omahas to help rebuild their community center and casino. So, it appears, Casino Omaha (just north of Omaha, NE) will re-re-open at some point in the future. I wonder what, other than free money, they're seeing that would make them re-build a casino that was closed for a year due to poor financials?

Casino Omaha only has slots, right?

Quote: UCivan

Casino Omaha only has slots, right?

Before they closed for economic reasons 3 years ago, they had tables. I don't know what they did when they re-opened the first time or what they'll do when they re-reopen. If I were them, I'd do it like Casino MonteLago and go slots-only, maybe with E-tables. Casino Omaha is kind of hard to get to, and stuck between the Council Bluffs casinos and WinneVegas.

I stayed at the new WinneVegas Hotel 2 weeks ago - $89 / night, more expensive than WinneVegas Inn on the other side of HW 29. They had the grand opening that day, and I invited myself to the press meeting and got a free blanket. Played the Shortie Blackjack side bet, very interesting. I heard they are adding Pai Gow Poker tables with new side bet called Super 7 Pai Gow.

My first response to the thread title was a verbal "Whaaaat?" while I'm in a restaurant!!

My Grandma lived her entire life in Northwest Iowa. She lived about 10 minutes from CasinOmaha (the correct spelling of the casino). When it FIRST opened, it was one of the first Indian gaming establishments in the U.S. and drew people from about a 200 mile radius. Then Iowa approved riverboat gaming, and WinnaVegas opened about 20 miles North in Sloan, IA. (CasinOmaha is TECHNICALLY in Onawa, IA, but that's a far stretch from the "downtown" area, or street.

I only played at CasinOmaha a couple times; my Grandma was a favorite at WinnaVegas, and though slightly farther, it was MUCH nicer than the other. To say it's near Omaha is a misnomer. It's actually about an hour and a half north from downtown, and an hour away from the way out boonies in Omaha.

I'm guessing this is a mistake to reopen. It has little draw and will be tough to get people even from the NW IA area.

Here's a news-ized version of what was in the annual report that I read yesterday. This article says it's a $1MM grant, while I'm almost certain that the annual report said it was $1.5MM.