JACKSON, Wyo. — The Teton County Board of County Commissioners discussed a resolution to allow pari-mutuel wagering on live horseracing, historic horse racing and simulcast racing at Hole Bowl.
After discussion and public comment, the board opted to continue the item to their July 5 meeting, when Chair Natalia Macker will be back from maternity leave.
The discussion was split 2-2 with Commissioners Mark Barron and Greg Epstein in support, while Commissioner Mark Newcomb and Vice Chair Luther Propst shared they were against the resolution.
“I do recognize having a chance to hear it before a board of five and might give the applicant a sense that they’ve had a fair chance but im not likely to support this,” Newcomb said.
Newcomb said he wanted to “lean away from this one,” citing that it’s a small but significant step to different attractions he’s not sure the town needs.
Propst said he was against the proposal based on the community’s general feeling of being overwhelmed with tourism. He shared concerns about a new attraction beyond the local natural resources.
Pari-mutuel wagering refers to mutual betting, in which all bets are placed together in a pool and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets.
Pari-mutuel betting is currently permitted in the county and state. According to the staff report, in 1973, Teton County voters voted to allow pari-mutuel wagering in Teton County.
Wyoming Statute §11-25-102(a)(vii)(B) requires the Teton County Board of County Commissioners to approve any corporation that seeks to conduct pari-mutuel live horse racing, simulcasting, and historic horse racing within the county.
307 Horse Racing Inc. the operator, explained that they plan to create a segregated space for gambling within Hole Bowl. They plan to have the entire facility open including the restaurant, bowling alleys, and games.
The board looked to the Jackson Town Council for guidance but received no recommendation on the proposal.
Sheriff Matt Carr spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting sharing concerns in general about what sort of crowd gambling games draw. He said he has had no issues with 307 Horse Racing Inc.
Barron advocated in support, seeing it as an opportunity for Hole Bowl to diversify its offerings and remain open. He shared that the new attraction will not explicitly bring new tourists to town and compared it to restaurants. He called it a “win-win” for the community.
Epstein said that he saw this as a positive for the community and that he would hate to see Hole Bowl torn down. He also pointed out the tax revenue that would be brought in.
“It’s one thing to approve pari-mutuel betting when the horse racing is live and it’s going down main street or something off in a rancher’s field but it’s another thing when it’s gamified in the way that we are talking about now,” Newcomb said.
