LINCOLN — Developers have cleared a regulatory hurdle in their efforts to build a race track and casino in Ogallala.

According to a news release, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission approved a racing license application from Hastings Exposition and Racing, Inc. to establish a quarter horse track near Lake McConaughy. The racing company is partnering with Elite Casino Resorts to develop a 5/8- mile track on a 178-acre site. The casino company currently operates Grand Island Casino Resort and other casinos in the region.

“There are over 79,000 Quarter Horses, with over 13,500 owners in Nebraska, most in western Nebraska,” Hastings Exposition and Racing founder Brian Becker said in a statement. “We look forward to highlighting the valuable role these Nebraska bred horses have played in our history and growing Quarter Horse racing in our state.”

Becker had previously tried to build a race track and casino in Hastings, the city which held the horse racing license since 2004. The city denied his initial request to rezone land on the north edge of town for the project in March 2022, but the council later approved a slightly-altered proposal in November of that year. The company announced its plans to move the license to Ogallala in June of 2023.

“You don’t invest that kind of money in a community where they’re not really supportive all the way around,” spokesman Brian Jorde said in 2023. “We battled for two years and then we kind of just realized, enough is enough of this.”

Elite Casino Resorts submitted a gaming application to build a casino resort next to the track in Ogallala. The commission has yet to rule on the application. The planned complex includes a hotel, restaurants, and truck stop.

“We are thrilled to bring a first-class resort, grow out of state tourism, add jobs and invest $100 million into Ogallala and western Nebraska” CEO Dan Kehl said.

The release says construction of the racetrack will start as soon as zoning is approved. That approval will need to come from a local board.

Elite Casino Resorts is operating a website for Lake Mac Casino Resort. It says that, if approved, the casino would include 650 slot machines, 20 table games, 6 poker tables and a sportsbook. It would also feature RV parking for 120, restaurants, a full-service spa and salon and a high-end truck stop with parking for 100 semis.