April 12, 2021
After a five-month selection process, Fonner Park has chosen Iowa-based casino operator Elite Casino Resorts, LLC to operate its planned $100 million Grand Island Casino Resort.
The Friday announcement comes after on November 4, 2020, Nebraska voters overwhelmingly approved measures giving existing state-licensed horseracing facilities the ability to offer games of chance such as slots. Almost immediately after, the thoroughbred horse racing facility in Grand Island began accepting proposals to which officials received nine responses to requests and
met with eight different operators to hear each of their respective plans.
Stand-out proposal:
According to KSNB Local4, Chief Executive Operator for Fonner Park, Chris Kotulak, and other park officials, said one of the proposals eventually stood out from the others as the right one for the project. The CEO said that after working with the executive board and four past presidents of Fonner Park, they were finally able to reach a decision.