Skill game venue Winner$ now open in Sidney
SIDNEY, NE —A new type of business has arrived in Sidney.
“It's just a nice little gaming lounge for people to come and enjoy themselves and have fun on these legal skill games,” Winner$ general manager Kenneth Steffens said.
Winner$, a new skill game venue, is now open. Located near the Love’s truck stop just off Interstate 80 Exit 59, it hopes to attract road-trippers and residents alike.
“It’s a perfect venue for it," Steffens said. “Right off I-80 and all the travelers coming through helps draw some business back into Sidney. We’re excited to get this location and get it revamped. It’s been sitting empty for 5-6 years now.”
The Bank Shot games at Winner$ were already legal in Nebraska even before voters approved ballot petitions regarding gambling in November. This is because Nebraska Supreme Court has previously ruled that Bank Shot games are games of skill, not chance, meaning they do not constitute gambling.
The voter-passed measures allow casinos to be built in Nebraska where there are licensed horse tracks already. Winner$ is not a casino since it does not offer any games of chance, but management will be ready if the trend of legalizing gambling continues.
“This is a stepping stone for us," Steffens said. "In the meantime, these skill games are still legal so we can get our foot in the door and get used to the atmosphere. If further laws do change and we can open a casino, this is our foot in the door for that.”
That doesn’t mean they aren’t already expanding.. The location is working on getting a liquor license and bringing in a small bar food menu.
“Some pizzas, nachos, wings, maybe a pulled pork special every now and then," Steffens said. "Just a little snack food to tide you through while you’re gaming. We’re going to concentrate on quality not quantity."
Open for just two weeks, Winner$ is already living up to its name.
“Our totals keep climbing everyday, but in the first two weeks, we’ve paid out over $30,000, so we’ve actually paid out quite a bit.”