The Wyoming Gaming Commission has approved Wyoming’s first mile-long horse racing track for 16 live race dates in 2025, as well as simulcasting and related activities. While the first racing season at Thunder Plains Park will feature temporary structures, the essential components, including barns, racing officials’ tower, video patrol towers, and spectator areas, will be in place.

The track, located 10 miles east of Cheyenne at Thunder Plains Park, will host its inaugural race day on Friday, August 1, 2025, with additional race days to follow on August 2, 3, 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31 and September 1. Dates are subject to change per the Wyoming Gaming Commission.

With its convenient location along I-80, the track is set to draw racing fans from neighboring states in the mountain west region, as well as local fans from Cheyenne and surrounding areas.

“As a fifth-generation Wyomingite, being able to bring this track to our state carries a lot of meaning,” said Ryan Clement, managing partner at Thunder Plains. “Thunder Plains sees an incredible opportunity to create a positive impact not only on the Wyoming horse racing industry but also the area’s economy, in terms of new job opportunities and tourism revenue.”

Through partnerships with elite industry veterans and horsemen, Thunder Plains looks forward to bringing high-quality, high-caliber racing to Laramie County.

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“We’ve established a strong partnership with 1/ST, North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing, entertainment and pari-mutuel wagering company,” said Clement. “They’ve set the standard for horse safety across the nation, and we’re looking forward to bringing that strong emphasis on safety and track protocols to Wyoming.”

Of the partnership with Thunder Plains, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY’s Senior Vice President Jeff True said he sees exciting opportunities ahead.

“1/ST has a long history of operating premier racetracks and premier racing events across the country. We are thrilled to be entering the Wyoming horse racing market together with our local Wyoming partners, and we look forward to lending our expertise to help grow Wyoming horse racing.”

For all simulcasting operations, 1/ST will leverage the expertise of its affiliates at Monarch Content Management, AmTote International, and PariMAX.

“Our racetrack will be operated with numerous horse safety and welfare protocols in place,” Clement said. “The track itself, being a mile long and eighty feet wide, dramatically improves horse and rider safety. Throughout track design and construction, we collaborated with Dennis Moore, a renowned track surface specialist, to ensure the safest, most high-quality racing surface.”

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Moore’s professional history includes designing and building world-class racetracks across the county, as well as consulting on track safety projects at racetracks across the country and around the world. Moore’s projects have included the racing surfaces at Santa Anita Park, Del Mar, Lone Star Park, Remington Park and in Dubai, among others.

Future plans at Thunder Plains Park include building a regional equestrian center and establishing a high-altitude horse training and breeding program.

21VIRAL has confirmed the integration of Bitblox’s unique crypto-price-based games into its platform. This distribution deal allows 21VIRAL access to popular games such as “3 in a Row,” “Up or Down?” and “Up or Down? Turbo.”

In these prediction games, players can guess whether the price of Bitcoin will rise or fall. The timing is particularly favourable, as the recent bull run in cryptocurrencies and heightened mainstream awareness following the US presidential election have contributed to their popularity.

Christoph Härtel, CEO of 21VIRAL, stated, “We are excited to onboard Bitblox Games to our GameConnector platform. These unique games, based on the crypto market, are highly entertaining and engaging, providing our operator partners with an innovative way to attract and retain players across Latin America.”

Brandt Page, CEO of Bitblox Games, added, “Working with the 21VIRAL team has been a pleasure, from our initial discussions to the contract exchange. The fast integration took less than four weeks, which is a significant advantage for any game studio like ours. Speed to market is crucial for optimal distribution of our crypto-prediction games.”

“The recent developments in the US have led to a surge in the crypto market, increasing the demand for our games within the iGaming ecosystem. As awareness of cryptocurrencies continues to grow in mainstream media, we look forward to collaborating with 21VIRAL and expanding our distribution in the Latin American market”.

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Bettors in Arizona wagered approximately $732 million on sports in September of 2024, according to a new report by the Arizona Department of Gaming. This represents an approximate 20% increase when compared to September of 2023.

The state collected approximately $3.96 million in privilege fees in the month. You can view the full September report on the ADG website: LINK.