$100M WarHorse South Sioux Casino Begins Construction with 230 Jobs Planned

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. – WarHorse Gaming has broken ground on a $100 million casino, hotel and entertainment development in South Sioux City.

The project is expected to create about 230 permanent jobs and could generate roughly $40 million in annual gaming revenue once fully operating.

Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, is developing WarHorse South Sioux on G Street near Atokad Downs. The property sits south of Highway 20, about a mile west of the Missouri River, and will become WarHorse’s third major Nebraska casino market after Lincoln and Omaha.

Casino Plans Include 600 Slots and 100-Room Hotel

The 63,000-square-foot development will include approximately 600 slot machines, 16 table games and a 100-room hotel. Plans also call for conference space, live and simulcast horse racing, a large sports bar concept and an outdoor amphitheater with capacity for about 5,700 people.

Ho-Chunk President and CEO Lance Morgan said highway visibility, available land and improved road access were among the reasons the company selected the location. South Sioux City is expected to assist with new road access to the development as construction progresses.

The property is being designed as more than a gaming venue, with outdoor gathering and entertainment areas intended to attract customers who may not visit primarily to gamble. Ho-Chunk also has approximately 20 additional acres available at the site for potential future development.

WarHorse plans to develop the property in phases. Morgan said gaming could begin in late 2027 while work continues toward completion of the broader casino, hotel and entertainment complex.

Local Governments Could Receive Millions in Gaming Taxes

Morgan projected that WarHorse South Sioux could produce approximately $40 million in annual gaming revenue. Nebraska imposes a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue generated at licensed racetrack casinos, with 25% of that tax directed to local government.

When a racetrack casino is located within city limits, the local allocation is split evenly between the county and municipality. At $40 million in annual gross gaming revenue, the statutory tax would amount to about $8 million, with approximately $2 million distributed between South Sioux City and Dakota County.

Morgan estimated the combined local benefit could reach roughly $2 million to $2.5 million annually. Mayor Rod Koch said the additional revenue would come on top of property taxes generated by the development and other economic activity tied to visitors and construction.

The project is also expected to employ several hundred workers during construction before supporting about 230 permanent positions. Morgan said Ho-Chunk’s Nebraska gaming operations currently employ roughly 830 to 850 people and are expected to exceed 1,000 employees once the South Sioux City property is operating.

Local officials expect the project to encourage additional development around the site. Koch said the southern part of South Sioux City could see new housing, roads and commercial investment as the casino and entertainment district take shape.

Project Extends WarHorse’s Nebraska Expansion

WarHorse South Sioux is being developed adjacent to Atokad Downs, where live racing has expanded ahead of the casino project. Nebraska voters authorized casino gaming at licensed horse racetracks in 2020, creating the framework that has since supported WarHorse developments in Lincoln, Omaha and now South Sioux City.

The company opened its WarHorse Omaha casino in 2024, giving Ho-Chunk experience it says has influenced the design and operating plans for South Sioux City.

Morgan described the South Sioux City development as roughly 15 years in the making. Ho-Chunk previously competed for the license to develop Sioux City’s first land-based casino in Iowa in 2013, but that project was ultimately awarded to the group behind Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City.

The new project now gives the Winnebago Tribe a major casino development on the Nebraska side of the Siouxland market. Beyond the initial $100 million investment, the additional land surrounding WarHorse South Sioux gives Ho-Chunk room to expand the destination if demand supports further development.

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