Gambling in the USA
Nebraska’s First Permanent Casino to Open in May in Columbus
Nebraska’s first full-fledged, newly built and state-sanctioned gambling casino is slated to open in Columbus next month, marking a milestone in the state’s rollout of casino gambling.
The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission last Friday approved a target opening date of May 13 for Harrah’s Columbus.
“This is a big deal,” commission Chairman Dennis Lee said.
The state’s three other casinos are open, but in temporary facilities. According to construction schedules, all should be open by early next year.
“We’re definitely excited to open the first permanent casino in the state,” said Don Ostert, Harrah’s Columbus general manager.
The 17,000-square-foot casino floor will feature 400 slot machines and 11 live table games, including roulette and craps, Ostert said. It will feature a Brew Brothers restaurant and will offer Caesar’s sportsbook and racebook, Ostert said.
For racing fans, the complex will feature the state’s only 1-mile horse track, though racing isn’t scheduled to begin until August 16. By June, officials hope to have some horses out on the track to test the new surface.
Ostert said officials hope to draw customers from Norfolk and Grand Island, but also from Omaha and Lincoln.
Columbus Mayor James Bulkley said that, from the city’s standpoint, “we are very excited to see it get started and become part of the community.”
The developers incorporated some Columbus history into the casino, he said.
“The location where it is used to be called Wishbones, and it was a venue for years for entertainment, and so people recognize that name, and they have kept that name for the sports bar,” he said.
He expects the casino will draw from Omaha. Although driving to Columbus from downtown Omaha might take close to an hour and a half, the drive from west Omaha is more like an hour, he said.
“I can hit Elkhorn in a short hour today, which is now western Omaha,” he said.
In a few months, Omahans won’t have to leave town to visit a brand-new casino.
At Horsemen’s Park in Omaha, Warhorse Gaming officials are aiming to open their new casino in early August. It will open with 900 gaming positions, including table games and a Sweetwater Cafe.
The post Nebraska’s First Permanent Casino to Open in May in Columbus appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
SkillOnNet has launched Ready Play Gaming’s slot portfolio across Ontario, Canada and Mexico, with additional international markets planned to follow later this year.
The content is now available across SkillOnNet’s iGaming brands including PlayOJO, PlayUZU, Slingo, Mega Casino and LuckyNiki.
Titles going live include Ready Play Gaming’s Reel Jackpots series, including Reel Bingo and Reel Triple, which the studio describes as “soft slot” experiences aimed at the bingo generation.
Jani Kontturi at SkillOnNet said: “We are proud to welcome Ready Play Gaming as we continue to strengthen our global content offering with innovative and high-performing studio partners. In a crowded market, they’ve focused on building games with personality and strong entertainment value, and we believe that’s exactly the kind of content today’s players respond to.
Christoph Härtel, COO at Ready Play Gaming said: “Partnering with SkillOnNet is a major milestone for Ready Play Gaming as we continue to expand our international footprint. SkillOnNet’s strong presence in regulated markets and extensive operator network make them an ideal partner to help bring our games to even more players globally.”
The post SkillOnNet rolls out Ready Play Gaming slots in Ontario, Canada and Mexico appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Aviator has launched in the United States for the first time through Lucky North Casino, a free-to-play social casino from Ruby Seven Studios serving Delaware North casino customers across the country.
The crash game is now live on Lucky North Casino, the official app of the Lucky North Rewards program. According to the announcement, Aviator is available on Android and Apple devices, as well as on the web via LuckyNorthCasino.com.
The company said the launch is the first step in a broader US expansion plan. Aviator is currently available across all eligible US states excluding Washington, and is expected to roll out to “more than a dozen” additional retail-branded social casinos in the coming months via the Ruby Seven Studios network.
Ruby Seven Studios’ network supports nearly 50 retail casino properties across 25 US states, which the company said will extend Aviator’s reach. The release added that a demo version of Aviator had previously been accessible to US audiences through the company’s website.
The launch follows Aviator’s expansion across several markets throughout 2026, with the company pointing to increasing demand for crash-style gaming experiences globally as it broadens distribution in North America.
The post Aviator crash game launches in US via Ruby Seven’s Lucky North Casino appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
1X2 Network
1X2 Network launches iCasino content in West Virginia with Rush Street, Caesars and Fanatics
1X2 Network has launched in West Virginia, marking its second regulated US market. The supplier said a first set of games went live on 3 June 2026 with Rush Street, Caesars Entertainment and Fanatics Casino.
The company entered North America in Michigan two years ago and said it is expanding US distribution off the back of performance there. 1X2 Network did not disclose commercial terms or rollout timelines by operator.
Among the initial titles going live in West Virginia are 3 Hot Chilli Peppers and 3 Porky Banks Hold and Win. The company said both games have been “ranked as top performers in North America” and are aimed at West Virginia’s “core 30-39 year old iGaming demographic.”
Kevin Reid, CEO at 1X2 Network, said: “Buoyed by the performance of our top tier titles in Michigan, we felt the time was right to step up our US expansion plans, and in Rush Street, Caesars Entertainment and Fanatics Casino, we couldn’t think of three better operators to debut our launch into West Virginia.
“Having already worked with these brands in the Great Lakes State, we’re confident that games like 3 Hot Chilli Peppers and 3 Porky Banks Hold and Win will deliver the same great results for them in West Virginia. We also have deals in the pipeline to go live with a number of other big-name operators which will further cement our presence in North America.”
The post 1X2 Network launches iCasino content in West Virginia with Rush Street, Caesars and Fanatics appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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