LINCOLN- A year after Nebraska voters approved casino gambling at the state's horse racing tracks, there's finally a light at the end of the tunnel for the tracks hoping to get gaming licenses.

Tom Sage, executive director of the Nebraska Racing & Gaming Commission, said this week that a final draft of casino regulations is set to be released Nov. 12.

Sage said the commission has been working on the rules for the past couple of months after it received a consultant's report in early September. It has fielded comments from the public and the gaming industry and has incorporated some of the suggestions into its draft regulations, he said.

Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules at their next scheduled meeting on Dec. 17. Because of the expected interest from industry members and the public, the commission plans to hold the meeting at Nebraska Innovation Campus.

All six existing horse tracks in the state, including the Lincoln Race Course, have announced plans to build casinos. There also have been proposals announced for new tracks in Bellevue, Gering, Kimball, Norfolk, North Platte, and York, all of which are likely to seek casino licenses as well.

Under Nebraska law, horse tracks must host at least one day of live racing annually to be able to host simulcasting, which all tracks except the one in South Sioux City do.

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