Nebraska introduced racinos to revive its struggling horse racing industry, granting six racing licenses with the expectation that casino gaming and sports betting would boost the sector. However, most tracks, except Fonner Park, have held only the minimum number of races required to maintain their licenses, with some venues like Horsemen’s Park and Atokad Downs running as few as five combined race days this year.

Recently, Lake Mac Casino Resort & Racetrack opened after acquiring the license from Fair Play Park, which had hosted just two races last year with very few horses. In a desperate attempt to fill races, Lake Mac featured unusually old horses—some aged 9 to 12 years—highlighting the industry’s decline and raising concerns about animal welfare.