It looks like my hometown of Hobbs, New Mexico will be getting a casino and horse racetrack within the next couple of years. I haven't posted anything about this until now because it's been a political football for several years, and it hasn't ever been this certain. At this point, there are four applicants to build and operate the track. The New Mexico Racing Commission will make a decision later this month on who to award the contract to.

Here's how the four applicants stack up:

Cost of the track & casino will range from $22.3 million to $52.2 million.
Racing days will range from 43 to 70 per year.
Number of horse stalls will range from 1,040 to 1,500.
Number of slot machines will range from 300 to 600.
One operator is associated with Riviera Gaming of Nevada.
One operator is associated with Ruidoso Downs.
A couple of the operators have proposed a temporary casino to provide an early cash stream before the track is opened.

I'll keep you posted on who gets the contract and what it will look like for token and chip collectors.

Keep your fingers crossed that the politicians can stay out of this long enough to get it built and open.