Grand Island Casino opens early 2025; Temporary casino open now!

GRAND ISLAND CASINO RESORT AT FONNER PARK

700 E Stolley Park Rd
Grand Island, NE 68801

Grand Island Casino Resort will be a $100 million casino and hotel that will open in first quarter 2025 at Fonner Park. A temporary casino opened in December 2022 inside the racetrack concourse.

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Grand Island Casino Resort

Fonner Park will add a casino hotel to its racetrack following the 2020 voter approval to expand casino gambling. The owner and operator of the casino is Elite Casino Resorts, an Iowa-based company that operates casinos in Davenport, Iowa City and Larchwood, Iowa.

Temporary Casino
Fonner Park opened a temporary casino inside the concourse in December 2022. The casino features 325 slot machines, 5 blackjack tables, a craps table, roulette table, sports betting and a snack bar area.

Permanent Casino
Construction of the Grand Island Casino Resort began Nov. 1, 2023, and the opening date will be in the first quarter of 2025. The casino will feature 750 slot machines, 20 table games, sportsbook, restaurants, show lounge, VIP lounge, and a 162-room hotel.

News Headlines

Grand Island Casino Resort prepares for opening in early 2025 December 9, 2024 - Construction of the Grand Island Casino Resort remains on-schedule to open in the first quarter of 2025, according to General Manager Vince Fiala ... Read more Grand Island Casino Resort Construction | July 2024 Update July 5, 2024 - Construction of the Grand Island Casino Resort continues on schedule for opening in the first quarter of 2025 according to Vince Fiala, GM of Grand Island Casino ... Read more Grand Island Casino Resort Construction | March 2024 Update March 18, 2024 - Construction of the Grand Island Casino Resort remains on schedule for opening in the first quarter next year, and hopefully before the horseracing season ... Read more Grand Island Casino Resort celebrates groundbreaking! Will open 2025! November 4, 2023 - Grand Island Casino Resort celebrated the groundbreaking Wednesday for a permanent casino with a five-story, boutique hotel ... Read more Grand Island's temporary casino hopes to add table games this week August 15, 2023 - During the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission meeting scheduled for Aug.18th, the commission will consider a request from Grand Island Casino to open its expanded ... Read more More Headlines ...

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Features of Grand Island Casino Resort

Gaming

Restaurants

Entertainment

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Hotel

Parking

News Articles

Grand Island Casino Resort prepares for opening in early 2025

December 9, 2024

Construction of the Grand Island Casino Resort remains on-schedule to open in the first quarter of 2025, according to General Manager Vince Fiala. Although final preparations are underway, the exact date has not been announced.

"Very exciting, it's seven stories, we have a restaurant, Ruthie's, that's our fine dining restaurant on the very top floor. Beautiful view of Grand Island, east, south, west, you can see the whole city from up here."

- Vince Fiala, GM Grand Island Casino Resort

To prepare for the opening, Grand Island Casino Resort is planning to hire and train 150-200 more employees before the grand opening. Two job fairs are planned for January at the Heartland Event Center.

Saturday, Jan 04 10:00 am - 2:00 PM
Saturday, Jan 18 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Bosselman Conference Room
Heartland Event Center
700 E Stolley Park Rd
Grand Island, NE 68801

For information about the available job position, visit the casino's career page.

The new Grand Island Casino Resort will feature a 37,500-square-foot casino floor with 750 slot machines, 20 table games, and a sportsbook. There will be four restaurants, a show lounge, and a 5-story boutique hotel with 162 rooms, full-service salon, and a spa.

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Grand Island Casino Resort Construction | July 2024 Update

July 5, 2024

Construction of the Grand Island Casino Resort continues on schedule for opening in the first quarter of 2025 according to Vince Fiala, GM of Grand Island Casino. Most of the exterior structure is complete and enclosed.

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During Construction and State Fair parking is a huge concern - Courtesy of KSNB Local4, Jun 29, 2024. Available from YouTube

The $100 million casino construction project will reach its mid-point in July 2024. The groundbreaking was last November, and the grand opening will be in the first quarter of 2025.

The general manager said the only challenges to the construction schedule have come from weather. There have been no supply-chain issues.

"Weather has been their biggest challenge. When the building wasn't enclosed, you know, or didn't have the roof on and stuff, we got a lot of water down in the lower level and that had to be dried out before some of the cement can be poured."

- Vince Fiala, General Manager GI Casino

Fiala also said there could be potential delays during the Nebraska State Fair, which will be hosted at Fonner Park from Aug 23 through Sep 2, 2024. Construction crews are trying to mitigate the parking congestion by rearranging the existing parking, moving employee parking, and adding more new parking spaces.

For current and future career opportunities at Grand Island Casino Resort, visit their career page.

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Grand Island Casino Resort Construction | March 2024 Update

March 18, 2024

Construction of the Grand Island Casino Resort remains on schedule for opening in the first quarter next year, and hopefully before the horseracing season, according to Alison Nicholson, Director of Marketing.

Construction of the $100 million casino resort has been underway since Nov. 1, 2023. The casino will feature 750 slot machines, 20 table games including blackjack, roulette and craps, a sportsbook, and a live show lounge on the gaming floor. The hotel will be a boutique hotel with 162 guest rooms, an indoor/outdoor pool, and a full-service spa.

A temporary casino opened inside the concourse at Fonner Park on Dec. 27, 2022. It features 325 slot machines, 5 blackjack tables, a craps table, roulette table, sports betting and a snack bar.

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Grand Island Casino Resort celebrates groundbreaking! Will open 2025!

November 4, 2023

Grand Island Casino Resort celebrated the groundbreaking Wednesday for a permanent casino with a five-story, boutique hotel. Construction will take 15-17 months to complete, and the grand opening is expected in the first quarter of 2025.

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Leaders break ground on Grand Island Casino Resort - Courtesy of The Grand Island Independent, Nov 1 2023. Available from YouTube

The groundbreaking for the $100 million Grand Island Casino was held at 10:30 am Nov. 1 at Fonner Park. The new casino will have these features:

• Casino: The 37,500-square-foot gaming floor will have 750 slot machines and 20 table games.

• Entertainment: A show lounge for live entertainment will be located inside the gaming area.

• Restaurants: There will be three restaurants including Ruthie's Steak & Seafood Restaurant, a fine dining venue, the Draft Day Sports Lounge, and a family dining restaurant.

• Hotel: The hotel will hots 162 guest rooms and suites and feature an indoor-outdoor pool, a full-service salon and spa.

During construction of Grand Island Casino Resort, the temporary Grand Island casino will remain in operation.

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Grand Island's temporary casino hopes to add table games this week

August 15, 2023

During the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission meeting scheduled for Aug.18th, the commission will consider a request from Grand Island Casino to approve the opening of its newly expanded gaming area. If approved, the casino will immediately open the expanded area located on the concourse south of the current temporary casino.

The plan is to add 46 more slot machines, one craps table, one roulette wheel, five blackjack tables and one ultimate Texas hold'em table. If the sportsbook is approved at the meeting, Grand Island could open its sportsbook within a week. The betting kiosks and windows are nearly ready now.

The food and beverage area will also be expanded. New food items will include omlets, burgers, chicken strips and fries.

The groundbreaking for the permanent Grand Island Casino is scheduled for the first week of October. Construction will take a little over a year, and the grand opening could be as early as Dec. 2024.

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Grand Island Casino will expand casino by July 1

May 10, 2023

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission approved a request from Grand Island Casino to expand the size of its temporary casino and add 40 slot machines, six blackjack tables, a craps tables and a roulette table.

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Expansion plans move forward for temporary casino - Courtesy of KSNB Local4, Apr 18, 2023. Available from YouTube

The expansion will also include a new entertainment stage, more restaurant seating, and a larger area for food an alcohol service.

"Most importantly for our guests is that we will have bathrooms on the casino floor, which is one of our largest concerns with our guests. It's that they don't have to leave the floor and come back on, so that will be a big plus for our guests."

- Vince Fiala, General Manager

Construction will begin after the horse racing season ends May 20 and should take about a month. The new gaming addition should open by July 1st.

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Grand Island temporary casino is now open

January 4, 2023

The grand opening of the Grand Island's temporary casino was celebrated last Tuesday as the doors were opened to the public for the first time. The casino is located on the Fonner Park concourse and features 300 slot machines.

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Grand Island temporary casino open at Fonner Park
Courtesy of NTV News, Dec. 30, 2022. Available from YouTube

Live table games will be added in a few months. Vince Fiala, the casino general manager, explained "We just haven't had time to train dealers yet to get the games put in, but we will have live table games in June."

Grand Island City Clerk RaNae Edwards was the ceremonial first slot machine player of the casino. Edwards said "It's so awesome. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. This is history."

Construction will start this fall on the permanent Grand Island Casino Resort. The casino will feature 750 slot machines, 20 table games and an Elite Sportsbook. There will be four restaurants, a show lounge, a VIP lounge, and a 162-room boutique hotel. The Grand Island Casino Resort will open in 2025.

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Grand Island's temporary casino will finish construction in mid-December 2022

November 24, 2022

Construction on the temporary Grand Island Casino began in September inside the concourse of Fonner Park. Completion is expected in mid-December. The grand opening of the new casino is planned for later in December. That exact date for the opening has not been announced.

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Fonner Park hopes to finish construction of temporary casino by mid-December Courtesy of NTV News, Nov 18 2022. Available from YouTube

The temporary Grand Island Casino at Fonner Park will open with 280 slot machines and a snack bar area. Horse betting kiosks and table games will be added after the first of the year. Table games will include blackjack, craps and roulette.

Hours of operation at the temporary casino will be 8 AM to midnight on weekdays and 8AM to 3 AM Friday and Saturday.

Construction for the permanent Grand Island Casino at Fonner Park will begin after the 2023 state fair ends in next September. The permanent casino will open in early 2024.

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New Grand Island Casino's temporary casino will break ground at Fonner Park on Sept. 7

August 27, 2022

Construction of the Grand Island temporary casino inside Fonner Park will break ground on September 7, 2022. The event is waiting for the Nebraska State Fair to end on September 5th. Construction is expected to finish in November with the grand opening around Thanksgiving weekend.

The temporary casino will be built on the inside concourse of the racetrack and feature 300 slot machines, table games and a food venue.

Construction of the permanent Grand Island Casino Resort will begin after the 2023 Nebraska State Fair has ended. The project is expected to take two years to complete with the opening date in 2025. The casino will feature 750 slot machines, 20 table games and an Elite sportsbook. The hotel will be 5 stories tall with 162 guest rooms. The property will include restaurants, a show lounge and a VIP lounge.

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Nebraska Grand Island Casino Resort Update

August 1, 2022

Grand Island Casino Resort is a proposed project of Elite Casino Resorts to build a $100 million casino inside Fonner Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. The company submitted a gaming license application to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission in June 2022.

If the license is approved, the company will build a temporary casino at Fonner Park to operate during construction of the permanent casino. The temporary casino could open as early as the end of 2022. It would feature 300 slot machines, live table games and a quick food venue.

The permanent casino will start construction in 2023 and open in 2025. It will feature 750 slot machines, 20 table games, sportsbook, restaurants, show lounge, VIP lounge, and a 162-room hotel.

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News Headlines Continued

2023

Grand Island Casino will expand casino by July 1 May 10, 2023 - The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission approved a request from Grand Island Casino to expand the size of its temporary casino and add 40 slot machines, 6 blackjack tables ... Read more Grand Island temporary casino is now open January 4, 2023 - The grand opening of the Grand Island's temporary casino was celebrated last Tuesday as the doors were opened to the public for the first time. The casino is located on the Fonner Park concourse and ... Read more

2022

Grand Island's temporary casino will finish construction in mid-December 2022 November 24, 2022 - Construction on the temporary Grand Island Casino began in September inside the concourse of Fonner Park. Completion is expected in mid-December. The grand opening of ... Read more New Grand Island Casino's temporary casino will break ground at Fonner Park on Sept. 7 August 27, 2022 - Construction of the Grand Island temporary casino inside Fonner Park will break ground on September 7, 2022. The event is waiting for the State Fair to end ... Read more Nebraska Grand Island Casino Resort Update August 1, 2022 - Grand Island Casino Resort is a proposed project of Elite Casino Resorts to build a $100M casino inside Fonner Park. The company submitted a gaming application to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission ... Read more Ogallala City approves Lake McConaughy Casino Resort & Racetrack Proposal July 6, 2022 - A $100 million Ogallala casino proposal, named Lake McConaughy Casino Resort & Racetrack, was approved by city and county officials last week. The plan was developed in ... Read more

2021

Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission releases final casino regulatory draft November 17, 2021 - The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission released a final draft Friday of rules and regulations for casino gambling at horse racing tracks. The 67-page document covers ... Read more