Off Track Betting Heading To Sidelines

Off Track Betting is coming to Sidelines Sports Bar after Natrona County Commissioners approved a new location Tuesday evening.

The approval brings to an end an eight month hiatus  for the Casper area and according to Gene Joyce, a managing partner with Wyoming Horse Racing LLC, "hopefully by the end of  this month to begin operations. The revenues from that will help fund the Wyoming Para-mutual Commission. It will help fund the Wyoming All Breeds Program that the state runs and also help fund our business operation that will operate a live race meet."

Wyoming Horse Racing LLC were licensed in June by the Wyoming Para-mutual Association to do live and simulcast betting across the state. Wyoming statute requires that county commissions approve all off track betting and simulcast locations.

Joyce says at Sidelines customers will have an option to use a separate area, "but you'll be able to watch and wager on the races pretty much in any part of that facility. We'll have big screens. We'll have self-serve betting machines so that you don't have to go all the way back to the one location where the betting line and the mutual clerk will be."

Horse racing from Rock Springs will not be included in available simulcasts, that, Joyce says, is cost prohibitive, but  he says those who regularly follow the sport are really looking for the big ones like the Derby, Santa Anita, Belmont, or Saratoga.

Finalizing of the operation is expected by the end of the month.