By
Jane Shaw
Senior Editor Updated: 09/23/2023
We count on Jane to inform our readers about the latest slot games in the US market. With her passion for video games and a degree in engineering, she’s our gambling tech expert. Jane’s also active in our blog section, where she tackles the curiosities and changes in the industry.
Grand Island Casino Resort
Construction of the Grand Island Casino Resort at Fonner Park, Nebraska is set to begin sometime in October, according to officials. The project is expected to cost approximately $100 million, and work is being bankrolled by Elite Casino Resorts. The company already owns three casinos in its home state of Iowa, as well as another in Illinois.
Fonner Park, located around 80 miles from Lincoln, already boasts a racetrack, and the new casino will be constructed right next door, with the track’s grandstand being incorporated into the resort. Officials hope that the resort will be ready to open sometime in 2024.
The general manager for the property is already in place – Vince Fiala, who was previously assistant manager at the Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort, a venue in Larchwood, Iowa, owned by Elite Casino Resorts. Fiala has stated that the blueprint is just being completed and will soon be sent to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission for its approval. After this, construction will start.
Elite has just opened a new venue called Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort in Illinois, so now it can focus its complete attention on the construction of the Nebraska property.
While the blueprints are yet to be finalized, there’s still a good idea about what the upcoming venue will offer. Several representatives for Elite Casino Resorts have stated that the casino will be approximately 37,000 square feet and will house 650 slots and 20 gaming tables. It will also boast a sportsbook, for which Elite have partnered with UK-based company Betfred.
As well as the casino, the property will also have a hotel with 116 rooms, as well as a rooftop restaurant called Ruthie’s Steak and Seafood – a brand owned by Elite and already in place at three other Elite venues. The hotel will offer nightly entertainment performances, plus will have a spa, sauna, and ice room.
Elite opened a temporary casino in Fonner Park last December, which already provides a limited selection of gaming options to visitors, although nothing close to the scale due to be offered by the permanent property.
So far the casino has been well received in the community, with Fiala stating:
We have been well accepted in the community. We love being here in Grand Island.
This has been backed up by the figures, with the casino generating around $16.9 million in revenue from January to July. This has also been great for the government, as the state taxes GGR at a flat 20% rate.
While the permanent resort is not expected to open until next year, there is a recruitment drive for dealers. They’re offering a $1,000 bonus to anyone who signs up for dealer school, which takes up to 16 weeks to complete. Those accepted will receive $500 after working their first 80 hours, and the second half of the payment when they’ve worked 1,000 hours.
Alongside dealers, the upcoming resort is also expected to require staff members in several other positions, including catering and housekeeping.
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