Operator says consolidation of race days brought investment; lawmakers worry about statewide access to live racing

At the May 14 Select Committee on Gaming meeting, Kyle Rididgeway, president of Wyoming Downs and 307 Horse Racing, described why his group merged two racing licenses and concentrated more race days at the Evanston track.

Rididgeway testified the move allowed the company to invest in infrastructure — redo grandstands and barns and support a larger summer meet drawing thousands of out-of-state patrons — and reduced costs for horsemen who otherwise would travel long distances. "Our group has committed millions of dollars of capital to that track," he said, adding the consolidation improved the economic viability of live racing.

Multiple legislators pressed Rididgeway on the community impacts. Representative Johnson and others said they were concerned that moving days away from counties like Campbell could reduce local live racing exposure. Rididgeway said the company still runs meets in Gillette this summer and that the consolidation did not reduce the total number of race days in the state; he said the decisions were made under existing commission rules that require a minimum number of days but do not mandate location.

The commission clarified its licensing approach: the office treats the two entities as separate licensed operators, requires separate reporting and employee licensing for field staff, and must review premises documentation if new locations are used to stage races.

What’s next: The committee asked LSO and the commission to verify public records and contracts that underpin seasonal scheduling and to bring additional data on race-day counts and economic impacts at future meetings.