The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Tuesday approved a “non-contiguous” racing license for Ellis Park that will allow the track to proceed with plans to open a casino in nearby Owensboro.

The casino, which will have 600 historical horse racing machines, will be located in an existing building on the main business street in Owensboro, which is a 30-minute drive from Ellis Park in Henderson, according to Ellis Park officials who spoke in front of the commission Tuesday. The officials said that the cost of the facility would be $16.7 million.

Ellis Park sought the approval at a time when many horsemen and commission officials have become frustrated that the track’s owner, Laguna Development Corp., has not made good on promises to spend tens of millions of dollars on the track in improvements.