For the first time in Nebraska history, a state-licensed casino opened its doors Saturday, marking the first pull of a slot machine in Lincoln.

At 9:30 a.m., a half hour before the doors opened to the public, Tribal Elder and member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s Tribal Council Ken Mallory was among the first to play a slot machine in the WarHorse Casino.

“What’s the difference between praying at church and praying at the casino?” Mallory joked as he pulled a slot machine alongside Wally Wollesen of the Nebraska Horsemen’s and Benevolent Association. “At the casino you really mean it.”