Wyoming forgoes bill for digital gambling establishment
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In a recent vote during the ongoing legislative session, House Bill 120 (HB0162) aimed at legalizing online casinos in Wyoming was voted down. The decision was primarily due to opposition from local Native American tribes, including the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone.
The bill, introduced by Jon Conrad, Robert Davis, and colleagues, aimed to authorize the state's Gaming Commission to grant up to five interactive gaming operator permits. However, it faced criticism for restricting tribal participation and not adopting the hub-and-spoke model used in other states. The bill also stipulated licensing only for operators already licensed in three other states, which may have further complicated tribal and local interests.
As a result, the bill stalled and failed in committee without advancing further in early 2025, effectively ending its legislative prospects for that session.
The implications for the illegal iGaming market in Wyoming are significant. With no legal framework to regulate and tax online gambling, Wyoming lacks a legal alternative for online casino gaming. This regulatory gap allows illegal and unregulated online gambling, including sweepstakes casinos and offshore operations, to continue or potentially grow, with no state oversight or consumer protections.
Unlike some states that have legalized and regulated online casinos, Wyoming remains vulnerable to illegal operators serving residents without safeguards or state revenue generation from these activities. The failure to pass HB120 means the state misses out on potential revenue through permit fees and taxes on revenue from online gaming.
The proposed legislation aimed to provide protections for citizens who participate in online gaming. However, the bill did not specify the types of games that would be allowed under the online gaming permits, nor did it mention any specific penalties for non-compliance with the regulatory guardrails.
In summary, the failure of HB120 to pass leaves Wyoming without a legal regulated online casino market. This likely sustains or expands the illegal iGaming market in the state, with attendant risks for players and lost tax revenue for Wyoming.
- The rejected HB120 bill in Wyoming not only halts the legalization of online casinos, but it also leaves the market open for unregulated casino-games like sweepstakes casinos and offshore operations, as no alternative legal framework currently exists.
- As Wyoming fails to legalize online casinos through HB120, the state is missing an opportunity to join gambling-trends seen in other states, where casino-personalities and sports-betting enthusiasts can enjoy regulated casino-games, safeguarding consumer interests and generating state revenue.
- With HB120 stalled, it places Wyoming at a competitive disadvantage compared to states that have legalized online casinos, as sports fans will not be able to participate in sports-betting under a regulated environment, nor will the state benefit from tax revenue generated from legal online casino-games.
