CASPER, Wyo. – 307 Horse Racing, Inc., a subsidiary of Wyoming Financial Group (WERCS) and a 307 Premier The member company hopes to introduce horse racing entertainment to a popular Casper restaurant and lounge.

The Wyoming Financial Group has launched the “Think Wyoming First” and 307 First initiative and mission since 2011. Kyle Ridgeway, its chief operating officer, said his group wanted to introduce off-track betting on horse racing in the C85 pump room located at 739 N. Center St.

The group of companies are currently under contract to purchase the Pump Room property, its assets (including employees) and a liquor license from the C85 group and Cercy Properties. Once the sale is completed, the previous ownership will no longer be involved in the Pump Room or the mutual betting activities. The name will eventually be updated with a complete rebranding of the site. Such bets involve machines which register the bets and calculate the winnings.

“We want to allow people to have a drink and eat some of the fantastic food already there, if they wish, as part of the amenities of the place while they play the games,” he said. he declares. “We are trying to acquire high-end facilities with equipment and improve the visitor experience; we want to create these state-of-the-art, first-class entertainment venues the Wyoming style. The group of companies intends to continue to operate the restaurant and maintain the liquor store in addition to operating a bar and having the games located in the Pump Room.

Regulatory hurdles must be cleared before Pump Room betting becomes a reality. Kyle will appear before the Natrona County commission on Tuesday to seek approval to play the Pump Room. He will appear before Casper City Council in January for a liquor license transfer approval.

Finally, the plan must be approved by the state gaming commission before the site can open for gaming.

Kyle said his group acquired 307 Horse Racing, headquartered in Gillette, this year “because we believe in CEO Jack Greer’s mission to grow the horse racing industry in Wyoming.”

307 Horse Racing has been granted the ability to run live races at the Gillette Cam-Plex. 307 Horse Racing spent over $ 1 million at Gillette last year on Cam-Plex upgrades and cash.

Kyle explained, “The money generated by these machines directly supports the horse racing industry in Wyoming. Ultimately, our business mission is to use the revenue from these locations to run better and better live races over the summer and in other communities besides Gillette. These live races are a boon to local economies. The money supports horse breeding and horse racing and, in addition, invests in local Wyoming businesses.

He added that a study conducted by the University of Wyoming found that in 1999, live horse racing injected an estimated $ 9.9 million into the local Evanston economy. Considering the increase in purses since that time linked to slots in the state, adding inflation and other considerations, live horse racing is likely to bring much more to local economies than that in 2021. The Wyoming law that authorized these mutual betting machines cast authorized them on the basis of improving the live racing industry in Wyoming. (See HB 25 (2013) Issue Brief and Fact Sheet and FAQ)

Unlike other betting sites in Casper, he noted that the new off-road Pump Room business would be wholly owned by Wyoming. Additionally, its sister company Mountain West Technologies will operate a data center located in Casper that will support the backbone of the company’s gaming operations. Mountain West will also install fiber optic internet cabling to the pump room, which will extend this service along F Street to hotels and other tourist areas in this part of town. Companies believe this is a situation where Wyoming is winning in more ways than one.

Mutual betting at the Pump Room would fit in with 307 First’s primary mission, which is to help diversify and improve Wyoming’s economy. Among other benefits, a booming horse racing industry would provide opportunities for Wyoming horse breeders, create jobs in the recreation industry, and generate millions of dollars in tax revenue for city and town governments. counties. Kyle added, “The mission further ensures that the money from these entertainment centers stays in Wyoming and is reinvested in Wyoming.”

Betting on the ponies isn’t the only improvement that could happen to the pump room once the sale ends.

“I know the staff have a lot of ideas,” Kyle said. “There’s an outdoor space that we want to use for groups and other entertainment in the nicer months, and there’s a ton of parking. We believe the location can be a must-see and top-notch entertainment venue for this part of Casper, serving visitors and expanding tourism.

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