Nebraska Casino With Blackjack Opens on Friday in Columbus

  • Harrah’s Columbus opens doors on Friday as Nebraska’s first permanent casino.
  • The Caesars gaming venue will offer blackjack at live dealer tables and electronic gaming machines.
  • The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission issued a gaming license for live horse racing and a sportsbook at the casino.

COLUMBUS, Neb. – Friday marks the highly-anticipated grand opening of the Harrah’s Columbus casino in Nebraska. The gaming location becomes the first permanent casino in Nebraska and offers slots, blackjack, roulette, and more table games.

Although the state has had legal online blackjack options for years, Nebraska residents finally have a permanent in-person casino location to play blackjack. Gamblers will also enjoy the Caesars Sportsbook, one-mile horse racing track, a sports bar, and a brewpub restaurant located at the casino.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Set For 9:50 a.m. ET On Friday

The Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino officially opens Friday at 10 a.m. ET. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for excited new customers beginning at 9:50 a.m. ET.

"When Nebraska voters opened up gaming at racetracks, we knew that our experience in the casino industry combined with our commitment to horse racing made Harrah's a perfect fit," said Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment. "We look forward to creating an all-new Harrah's experience in Columbus and connecting it to our Caesars Rewards network across the country."

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission agreed with Reeg, choosing Caesars as the first permanent casino in the state. The 17,000 square feet of gaming space will contain roughly 500 slot machines and 14 live dealer tables for Nebraska blackjack, craps, poker, roulette, and more.

There’s also a Mariott hotel under construction next door, but the Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino confirmed on their Facebook account that they don’t own the hotel.