Wyoming Downs pari-mutuel gaming machines now available at One Eyed Buffalo Saloon

One Eyed Buffalo Saloon officially opened its Wyoming Downs gaming area on March 31 with its 16 pari-mutuel machines. This a first for Thermopolis to have this number of legalized gambling machines in a facility. Owner Jennifer Fisher said, "We wanted to bring something new to Thermopolis and create a new atmosphere." During their opening, they had about 50 to 70 different customers throughout the day.

Wyoming Downs Regional Manager Chris Macha described the customer experience with their machines and said, "We're in the entertainment field, and naturally, all we want to let people know that this is entertainment for them. It's nothing more than going to the movies where we like to see where you're spending some money and having a good time. And here, you could possibly win. I think we've got one jackpot at over $300,000."

Macha and Fisher clarified that these machines and the business are not a casino or slot machines, but they are historical horse racing games. Macha added, "What you're actually doing when you spin wheels is you're betting on horse racing is what you're doing, which makes it legal for the state of Wyoming because it's pari-mutuel wagering, which means you're not betting against Jennifer here, you're playing against the other customers on the floor and across the state, actually, because these pools are all tied together."

Regarding how this business will benefit the community and the economy of Thermopolis, Fisher said, "Aside from creating jobs, Wyoming Downs pays a very fair wage. Its tax revenue for the city and the county, if you look up the numbers online across the state, but Wyoming Downs itself generates for the state, the cities, the counties, the tax revenues are huge. The county and the city also benefit from some of the tax revenue that's made here."

Fisher added about her vision, which in her mind is to expand. She said, "We only want to see how well these machines do. And if they do well and do well for Thermopolis, eventually we'll add more machines here or in a bigger place or whatever down the road."

Fisher expressed her excitement about the new gaming at the OEB Saloon and said, "I think it's going to grow. I think it's really good for Thermopolis and the Big Horn Basin this year and it's making Thermopolis known and it gives it one more thing to be a destination. We have the hot springs, the Dinosaur Center... but now we just have one more thing for people to do and stay in town and spend their dollars. So, I guess my excitement is just to watch it grow. I know it's going to grow and we'll see what the future of it could be for Hot Springs County."

OEB Saloon and Wyoming Downs also give back to the community and help those in need. They will donate to the Governor's Wife's Hunger Initiative by collecting money when a customer is done playing and has remaining change. Macha said last year Wyoming Downs donated about $28,000 to the institute from across the state.