Simulcast company wants to take horse bets offshore

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Wednesday, April 13, 2005 | 9:19 a.m.

BISMARCK, N.D. -- A Fargo company wants the state Racing Commission's blessing for a plan to funnel wagering on horse races to North Dakota through a Caribbean computer hub, but regulators say they're unsure if the proposal is legal.

Lien Games, which supplies video signals of horse races to North Dakota off-track betting sites, is pushing for the offshore gambling operation.

Mike Cichy, the company's general manager, told the Racing Commission on Tuesday that the plan is similar to systems in at least two other states. If repeated in North Dakota, it has the potential to rejuvenate the state's flagging gambling industry, Cichy said.