Gambling Expansion Study Ordered in Wyoming

With a population just south of 600,000, Wyoming would not be considered a significant target for the U.S. online gambling industry. Just the same, it's a state where online gambling (sports betting & casino) could certainly add a little revenue/income to an operator's bottom line. Under that mindset, every state warrants consideration.

To date, Wyoming is not among the 39 states that have already legalized retail and or online sports betting. Also, the state is certainly not among the 7 states that have passed iGaming legislation. That leaves Wyoming as an outliner.

Attempts have been made by some lawmakers to stir up interest in bringing for online gambling legislation. Unfortunately, those efforts have continually fallen short in a state that is decidedly conservative by nature. As an indication the tide might be turning, the Wyoming Gaming Commission announced that they recently ordered a viability study on the viability of gambling expansion within the state's borders.

What Wyoming Gaming Commission Wants to Know

As one state after another goes into gambling expansion mode, residents in smaller states like Wyoming are simply seeking due consideration. The Wyoming Gaming Commission has finally decided that the time is right to give the issue a serious look.

The catalyst behind the Wyoming Gaming Commission Wyoming Rep. Robert Davis. After spending a good part of 2024 trying to stir up interest in gambling expansion legislation, he has turned to the Commission to help him gather information that he can use to move gambling expansion forward in 2025. The calling for this study came about as follows.

Rep. Davis went to the Commission. The Commission summoned Spectrum Gaming Group (SGG) to conduct a study on the viability of sports betting and iGaming in Wyoming. The Commission turned to the Joint Appropriations Committee to provide topics for the study. SGG was asked to look at the following topics:

• The effects of interactive gaming


• Tax revenue projections by product


• Regulations for consideration


• The potential benefits of historic racing games


• The inclusion of skilled-based options like poker and Daily Fantasy Sports


• The online sports betting model
  

In an interview with PlayUSA.com, Rep. Davis stated in regards to the ordering of this study:

“I think it’s good we’re doing this and they’ll be surprised with what the study will yield as far as that this is already occurring in Wyoming and what kind of revenue we can produce by regulating it.”

What was in the Proposed 2024 Sports Betting Legislation

While the door is closed for 2024, it's worth a look to see what RE. Davis had proposed in his HB120 bill. Note: Needing 42 votes to pass, the final vote fell short with a final count of 25-36-1 votes.

The bill included the following provisions:

• Initial license fee of $100K with annual renewals at $50K


• A minimum of five (5) licenses would be issued with no maximum limit


• The online gambling age would be set at 18 or above


• A 10% tax rate would be charged on gross revenue

Assuming Davis wins reelection, let's see what he comes back with after the study has been completed.