A big plan to move a racino in New Mexico from the city of Farmington to the city of Clovis may be reviewed by state officials sometime next spring.
For months, plans have been aired to establish of the state’s five racino licenses in Clovis, with an official review of the matter having previously been scheduled to come before the New Mexico Racing Commission on December 22.
But now that review has been postponed upon the request of SunRay Park & Casino officials, according to the Eastern New Mexico News, so that they could “amend their application for relocating.”
That plan to relocate the combined horserace track and gaming facility has been some time in the thinking and planning stage. According to published reports, the new racino would be built on a 200-acre site just to the east of Clovis.
The new racino, according to information on the Racing Commission’s website, has been touted as one that would feature “modern, sustainable facilities, sustainable purses, and more race days.”
The new Clovis facility, according to earlier reports, would measure anywhere from 150,000 square feet to 200,000 square feet, and include a grandstand for spectators, a hotel, and just over 1,300 stalls for racehorses.
The move to relocate the racino out of Farmington has only naturally been met with opposition from officials in that city who note that it has generated up to $1.2 million in annual revenue.
New Mexico State Senator Steve Lanier, in a report published by the Tri City Record last month, argued that the move would hinder “economic recovery in a region already impacted by the decline of traditional energy sectors.”
In 1997, members of the New Mexico State Legislature voted in favor of limiting the number of racino operating licenses in the state to six. The five current racino operations are in Albuquerque, Farmington, Hobbs, Ruidoso, and Sunland Park.
December 11, 2025
By Garry Boulard
