Wyoming Downs and 307 Horse Racing have started work on a new Laramie County gaming venue near the Colorado border. The project adds another large historic horse racing site to a Wyoming market that already handles billions through HHR machines each year.
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Wyoming Downs and 307 Horse Racing want southern Laramie County to become a new gaming stop for people driving in from Colorado. The 58,000-square-foot venue will sit east of Interstate 25 at Exit 2, close to the state line, with an opening planned for spring 2027.
Kyle Ridgeway, president of Wyoming Downs and 307 Horse Racing, said the location gives the project a clear customer base. Around 600,000 people live within a 30-minute drive, and many of those potential visitors sit across the border along the Colorado Front Range. As reported by the Wyoming Tribune he said:
“This project is designed to bring new dollars into Wyoming, drawing visitors from neighboring states, especially Colorado, strengthening our economy and diversifying our tax base.”
The venue will offer about 600 historic horse racing machines, simulcast horse wagering, several dining areas, and a sports-viewing space built around what the company calls the largest TV wall in Wyoming. Extra land has also been bought for possible hotel and entertainment development later.
Wyoming Downs expects more than 150 permanent jobs once the property opens. Groathouse Construction, based in Wyoming, will lead the build with help from local subcontractors. The wider plan could also add work in construction, hospitality, gaming operations, and IT.
Tax revenue sits high in the pitch. Ridgeway said the Laramie County venue could generate about $3 million in annual local tax revenue after several years. Across Wyoming, Wyoming Downs already employs more than 400 people and says it produces more than $25 million in state and local taxes each year.
The project also lands while historic horse racing keeps growing in the state. Wyoming Gaming Commission data showed $2.49 billion wagered on HHR machines in 2024, up from $2.11 billion in 2023. Wyoming Public Radio also reported that HHR machines returned almost $25 million to towns and counties in 2025, with Laramie County receiving nearly $4 million.
Historic horse racing machines look similar to slot-style gaming terminals, but the result comes from previously run horse races. That legal difference has helped Wyoming grow HHR while keeping the product tied to pari-mutuel racing.
Laramie County already has one large horse racing gaming venue after Horse Palace at Swan Ranch opened in 2024. Wyoming Downs says the new site will compete with more dining, a bigger sports-viewing area, and the large TV wall.
The Laramie County build forms only one part of the company plan. Wyoming Downs also plans a similar facility in Evanston, Uinta County, with construction expected in early 2027. That site will aim at visitors from Utah and western Colorado. Renovations are also planned for Cheyenne, Casper, and Rock Springs, with more projects lined up in Gillette and Green River.