Harrah’s Columbus Casino in Nebraska Complete With Dual Marriott Hotel
Posted on: July 10, 2025, 08:46h.
Last updated on: July 10, 2025, 09:53h.
- Harrah’s Columbus has opened its on-site hotels
- The Nebraska casino and racetrack has two Marriott facilities
- The live racing season at Harrah’s Columbus ends this weekend
Harrah’s Columbus, NE, Racing & Casino in Nebraska is officially complete after the thoroughbred racetrack and gaming destination opened its on-site hotels.
The casino and horse racetrack, a joint partnership between Caesars Entertainment and Columbus Exposition & Racing, a not-for-profit entity controlled by Platte County, the $100 million facility opened its doors in May 2024. Columbus Exposition was afforded a casino opportunity through a statewide ballot referendum passed by Nebraskans during the 2020 election that authorized slot machines, table games, and sports betting at state-licensed horse racetracks.
Caesars and Columbus Exposition opted to replace the racetrack at Platte County Agricultural Park, commonly called Ag Park, with a new racing facility along US Route 81/Howard Blvd. at the site of the former Wishbones Event Center.
Harrah’s Columbus is northwest of the downtown area.
Marriott Hotels Open
While visitors to Harrah’s Columbus since its May 2024 opening have largely been locals who make day trips to the casino and racing venue, which, along with its sportsbook, offers a parimutuel racebook, Caesars and Columbus Exposition hope to attract guests from a wider net. To accommodate such patrons for overnight visits and to provide lodging for racing fans when racing at the track is live in the summer months, Harrah’s Columbus recently opened an on-site hotel with two brands.
The four-story Fairfield Inn and Suites and Townplace Suites are open, with the dual-branded hotel structure connected to the casino by a ground-level indoor corridor. Locally-owned Foreman Lumber built the hotel venue. St. Louis-based Midas Hospitality owns and operates the hotels.
The Fairfield section of the hotel offers 54 rooms, while Townplace has 48 extended-stay suites for a total occupancy of 102 guestrooms.
The hotels offer many amenities, including a fitness center, an indoor swimming pool with a view of the racetrack, an outdoor patio and grill, laundry service, and meeting space. Free breakfast is included with every stay.
Caesars Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy members are afforded discounted rates. For a booking tonight at the Fairfield, a casino loyalty member would save $16, and a Bonvoy guest would save $3 off the standard rate for a king guestroom.
Racing Success
Nebraska casinos must host live racing each year to keep their gaming license in good standing. In 2025, the Harrah’s Columbus racing season runs from June 13 through this weekend, July 13.
The races have been a success, officials with Caesars Entertainment say. The track’s gate has counted tens of thousands of visitors over the past two racing calendars, and many have patronized the Harrah’s casino before and after the races.
Through May, Harrah’s Columbus has generated gross gaming revenue of $10.8 million from the casino’s 400 slots, 11 tables, and sports and race books. With live racing only beginning in June, numbers for June and July are expected to increase substantially.
Nebraska is home to three other casinos — WarHorse Casino Lincoln, Grand Island Casino Resort, and WarHorse Casino Omaha. Through the first five months of 2025, WarHorse Omaha led in terms of revenue at $35 million. WarHorse Lincoln was second at $33.2 million, and Grand Island was third at $20.5 million.
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