Horse racing has grasped the concept that it needs to get customers closer to the action in this day and age. Helmet cams, sulky cams, and drone footage have provided different perspectives for fans and punters to enjoy. Now a company looking to build a new racino is looking to take things to another level.
On Monday (Aug. 21), Full House Resorts unveiled some of the specifics behind its proposed ‘La Posada del Llano,’ a destination resort that will include a racetrack, casino, luxury hotel, 18-hole golf course, water park, and other amenities on the plains of eastern New Mexico. The development proposal was submitted in response to the New Mexico Racing Commission’s competitive process for the state’s sixth racing license.
The proposed racetrack would feature Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing and a ‘moving grandstand,’ a unique feature that would transform how fans experience live horse races, according to a release from Full House.
Similar to a tram or streetcar, the moving grandstand would feature stadium seating for hundreds of guests and travel at the same speed as the racehorses, circling the track and offering spectators a unique close-up view of the horses for the entirety of the race.
“In a typical race, spectators in the grandstand only see two brief moments of a race – its start and the closing seconds at the finish line,” noted Daniel R. Lee, the president and CEO of Full House Resorts. “Our moving grandstand changes that, allowing spectators to race side-by-side with the horses for every dramatic second of the race.
“By reinventing the viewing experience, we intend to open horse racing to a new generation of fans.”
In addition to the moving grandstand, the proposal also states that the track would feature a virtual reality bar where fans and punters would be able to experience the jockey’s point of view. Customers would also be able to view and bet on races from slot machine screens, and would also be able to wager on the races from their mobile devices.
New Mexico is currently home to five other pari-mutuel horse racetracks. Officials with some of those facilities have voiced their displeasure with the idea of introducing another track into the mix. The officials have cited overlapping race dates and current challenges to fill fields as issues that would be amplified if another track is introduced. Lee has responded by saying that he believes competition is a good thing.
(With files from Full House Resorts)