After being closed for over a year, Casino Omaha may be opening its doors once more. The casino, owned and operated by the Omaha Indian tribe, was a prosperous casino located in western Iowa that abruptly closed down in June 2009 after a series of regulatory problems and declining business.
“We are taking our time and doing things slowly,” said Bill Walsh, chief executive officer of Blackbird Bend Corporation.
Blackbird Bend Corporation is a tribal business subsidiary, and Walsh is widely known throughout the gambling industry for his contributions to the development of the popular casino game Pai-Gow poker.
Although Casino Omaha will be reopening on December 15, Walsh said that table games, including blackjack, craps, and roulette, will not be available until the beginning of next year.
Casino Omaha opened in 1992 about 50 miles north of Omaha-Council Bluffs, and in its heyday it averaged about 18,000 visitors a week. The casino’s popularity and success began to quickly decline in the mid 1990s when three new casinos opened in Council Bluffs and became worse during the recession. During the 1990s, the casino employed close to 400 people, most of which were American Indians. Right before it was shut down last year, that number had declined significantly to 185 employees. When Casino Omaha reopens next month, it will start out with about 90 employees.
There are mixed feelings regarding Casino Omaha’s reopening.
“I will believe it when I see it,” said Ann Crawford, executive director of the Onawa Chamber of Commerce.
Although Crawford said she would be thrilled if the casino reopens because of the potential boost to the local economy it would bring, she has heard for many months now that the reopening is imminent.
Aaron Stangel, local pharmacist and chamber president, said many residents are eager for the casino to be reopened, as its closing shocked the community.
“Any extra traffic coming through is a good thing,” Stangel said.
