Pari-mutuel Wagering on the ballot

One item on the next week’s ballot has not had a lot of attention and may be a bit confusing – Pari-mutuel Wagering.

The option to have pari-mutuel wagering in Hot Springs County does not mean the opening of a casino, but rather the option for a business, for instance the VFW, to host off track betting.

Currently, seven counties in Wyoming offer pari-mutuel wagering with taxes collected from the wagering being divided equally between the city and county. From 2013 through 2019 over $22.1 million was distributed to those counties.

Not only is the wagering bringing additional funding to those counties, they are also helping the equine breeders in Wyoming. There are over 3,400 registered Wyoming bred horses participating.

Events aren’t just horse races, there are also harness races, cutter racing, chariot racing, chuckwagon races, professional roping events and simulcasting of dog racing as well.

There are three racetracks in the state including Wyoming Downs in Evanston, Sweetwater Events Complex in Rock Springs and the Cam-Plex in Gillette. All of the locations are inspected monthly by the Wyoming Gaming Commission to ensure they are in complete compliance.

In addition, the commission performs drug screening of the equines and monitor activity in real time through daily video surveillance.

Veterinarians, laboratory services, racing safety officers and more are also benefitting across the state from the racing as well as creating new jobs.

If Hot Springs County were to vote in favor of pari-mutuel wagering, we could expect returns similar to those in Evanston in Uinta County. In 2019, Evanston and Uinta County divided $275,553 between the two of them. Historically, they have received a total of $967,045.

Park County is also placing the measure on their ballot this election.

For more information, please look to https://parimutel.wyo.gov.