Wyoming is ready to look into the possibility of launching a regulated online casino market.
The Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC) has ordered a study to assess the feasibility of expanding gaming in the Cowboy State to include iGaming.
The WGC currently regulates online sports betting, skill games, horse racing, slot-like historical horse racing machines, parimutuel wagering and charitable gaming in the state. Wyoming also hosts four tribal casinos, split between the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes, and a state-run lottery.
Now, the commission has contracted consultancy Spectrum Gaming Group, which specializes in the regulation and economics of the legal gaming market, to consider whether online casino gaming should be added to the mix.
Over the coming months, Spectrum will study the potential of gaming in Wyoming and provide recommendations on regulatory improvements and how expansion could affect the state. The expectation is that in November, it will provide the WGC with a report that details how online slot machines, table games or other online gaming could possibly benefit the state. The report will make a regulatory structure recommendation on how iGaming could be introduced.
Based on the findings of the Spectrum study, the WGC could decide to recommend to the Legislature that they consider iGaming legislation during their 2025 general session.
“We believe that iGaming has the potential to bring significant benefits to our state, but we also recognize the need for a comprehensive and objective analysis to inform our decision-making process,” said Wyoming Gaming Commission Executive Director Charles Moore. “By working with Spectrum Gaming Group, we are confident that we will receive valuable insights and recommendations that will help us navigate this rapidly evolving industry.”
Wyoming introduced iGaming bill earlier this year
Back in February of this year, Wyoming lawmakers proposed a bill that would have brought online casino wagering to its gaming market.
House Bill 120, sponsored by Rep. Jon Conrad, Robert Davis and others, proposed that the WGC should be able to offer up to five online gaming operator licenses.
However, it was voted down in the House.
Despite that, Wyoming’s 2024 General Appropriations bill includes a provision that the WGC should conduct a statewide study of gaming in consultation with the state’s Joint Appropriations Committee.
Wyoming’s robust online sports betting market
Wyoming launched an online sports betting market more than three years ago and major industry players such as FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook have stepped into the state. Fanatics joined the market in late May.
The WGC’s most recent sports betting revenue numbers showed a total state handle of $12.2 million in August, up 16.6% from the month before and up 25.2% year-over-year. Wyoming’s 10% tax rate on online sports betting consistently yields more than $100,000 per month for the state and raised $116,181 in August.
While online sports betting is legal and regulated in 38 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C., iGaming is only allowed in seven: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia.
