Kentucky Downs owner agrees to buy Wyoming Downs

The owner of Kentucky Downs and a partner have reached an agreement to purchase Wyoming Downs and all of its off-track betting parlors, the parties announced on Monday. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

ECL Entertainment, a company headed by Ron Winchell and Marc Falcone that owns Kentucky Downs and its associated casinos, is making the acquisition with the Clairvest Group, a Toronto-based private equity company. The partners previously acquired a charitable gaming facility in New Hampshire last year.

Like Kentucky Downs, Wyoming Downs operates historical horse racing machines at its racing facility, along with 18 other locations around the state. The track and its off-track betting locations also offer simulcast betting year-round.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.

“Given our company’s deep roots in horse racing, the purchase of Wyoming Downs is a natural extension of our business,” said Winchell, in a release. “We look forward to working with all of the Wyoming Downs stakeholders.”

Wyoming Downs, which is located in Evanston in the southwest corner of the state, is currently owned by a partnership led by Wyoming Equity Investors and Eric Nelson.

“This is a huge win for the state of Wyoming,” Nelson said, in the release. “ECL is the right operator at the right time for Wyoming Downs and will make the state proud.”

The transaction, which will need several regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second quarter of this year.

Wyoming Downs is scheduled to run from June 8 to Aug. 11 this year, racing on Saturdays and Sundays, for 20 live racing dates. The track conducts a mixed meet of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.