Maybe you have a little extra money burning a hole in your pocket, but you're just not up for heading up to Central City and Blackhawk; how about a quick trip to Cheyenne?

Slot machines can be a lot of fun: You just kick back and watch those reels go 'round hoping they'll make you a winner. Sure, you don't always win, but if you like slots, you don't mind, too much.

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When I found out that Cheyenne has slot machines, I was seriously surprised and intrigued. 'What?" I exclaimed. I went and asked co-workers if they knew, they did not. The next thing that I asked was, "How?"

"How," is indeed a good and relevant question. There are a casinos on Native American reservations in Wyoming, such as Wind River Hotel & Casino, but that's in Riverton, which is more than four hours in the car from Fort Collins. Cheyenne does not reside on a reservation, so how do they have slot machine?

HOW DOES CHEYENNE HAVE SLOT MACHINES?

These slot machines arrived in Cheyenne in the summer of 2022. I'm not a professional gambler, so I cannot give you all the specifics, but the most "basic way" to explain it, is that they are not the kind of slot machines you find in regular casinos. These machines do have reels and play just like regular slot machines, but what you are doing when those reels start spinning is.. betting on a horse race.

It's Off Track Betting, like Fort Collins used to have a The Sundance Steakhouse and Saloon for years, but different. It's Historical Horse Racing, where you, technically, are making 'quick picks' on horse races that have already happened; the slot machine is just a fun way to do that.

I went to one of the six places in Cheyenne that has HHR racing, to check it out. I stopped in at the Wyoming Downs location there, about 45 minutes from Fort Collins.

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Inside, I found several rooms of betters. Some were betting on live horse races, and some were seated at slot machines, also betting on horse races...from the past. I know it does not make any sense, but do they not look almost identical to a slot machine you'd find in Blackhawk?

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I put some money in, just like in Blackhawk, and made a bet, just like on any other slot machine I've played. What I found is that right as the reels begin spinning, little horse race "replay" screens pop up a the top of the screen- these are the races that you are betting on. Races from 1999, 2010, 2015.. random races, from the past.

I have three words: Blah, blah, blah.

I don't understand this historical horse racing; but then, I don't really understand what's happening with a "regular" slot machine, do you? I was "down" about $30, and decided to put in another $20, to make my losses an even $50. Then, I started winning. I ended up walking out with $50 more than I'd brought with me. I cashed out, and went home. It was a nice little Saturday afternoon.

I had fun, and I'm not alone in that. There 's also

WHAT ELSE?

There was no alcohol. That might matter to people, maybe not. Either way, it is closer than Central City/Blackhawk, which is about two hours from Fort Collins and Cheyenne, of course, is only about 45 minutes.

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