19th century Īfter its founding in 1854, pioneer Omaha became the 'Gateway to the West,' as an essential stopping, restocking and 'jumping off' point for settlers, hunters and miners traveling to the Western United States. It allowed the tribe to build a casino that opened in 2018 in Carter Lake, Iowa, which sits geographically on the west side of the Missouri River, adjacent to Omaha, where casinos are illegal. Recently, a controversial proposal by the Ponca tribe of Nebraska was approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission. Today, gambling in Omaha is limited to keno and slot machines, leaving Omahans to drive across the Missouri River to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where casinos are legal and there are numerous gambling businesses operating. From the 1930s through the 1970s, the city's gambling was controlled by an Italian criminal element.
By the mid-20th century, Omaha reportedly had more illicit gambling per capita than any other city in the nation.
From its founding in the 1850s through the 1930s, the city was known as a 'wide-open' town, meaning that gambling of all sorts was accepted either openly or in closed quarters. Gambling in Omaha, Nebraska has been significant throughout the city's history.
