Online Casino Legislation in Wyoming Stalled

Wyoming Lawmakers Decline Online Casino Legislation Bill

By Lisa Spencer Senior Editor Updated: 14 February 2025

Lisa Spencer Senior Editor

As a Senior Editor at Betting.US, Lisa Spencer is a valuable member of our expert team. With a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Lisa is adept in gambling theory and analyzing odds. She contributes by writing online sportsbook reviews and finding competitive markets to help our readers make an informed choice.

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The Bill and its Opponents

Wyoming’s Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee (TRWCRC) did not get enough backing to push Bill 162 along. Due to the lack of any motion to proceed with the bill, committee head Andrew Byron postponed it indefinitely.

Of course, this is not the end of the notion of legalizing online casino gambling in the state. Lawmakers still have time until 12 February to reapply before everything is wrapped up in March. Yet, the lack of support shows that most of the state’s populace doesn’t like the idea of legal online casinos.

The bill faced serious pushback from representatives of native tribes, who warned that legalizing online casino gambling would potentially hurt their communities. They further elaborated that past legalizations of online sports betting and horse racing had already impacted their earnings.

Along with the tribes that fear that online casino gambling would hurt their financial standing, various groups that advocate for safe gambling raised concerns that this would lead to a potential rise in gambling addiction. According to them, making more forms of online gambling easily accessible without stringent laws will cause harm to individuals who are pre-disposed to gambling addiction.

The Other Side of the Coin

Of course, there are many statements by proponents of legalizing online casinos that should be considered. The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) advises that this future change will undoubtedly boost the state’s economy and improve user safety. The SBA is comprised of large operators, such as BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics.

This notion was backed by the SBA’s speaker, Sarah Filosa, who pointed out that the switch from an unregulated market to a legal one with licensing will improve tax and state revenue and help keep gambling safe and regulated. Other backers of the bill advised that it would help remove unlicensed offshore operators and sweepstakes sites from the market, improving player safety.

There are offshore sweepstakes operators that are not officially licensed that allow players to spend real money for virtual tokens, which later can be exchanged back into cash prizes. This way, the sweepstakes site avoids certain laws and takes advantage of this loophole.

Many experts, such as ones from the iDevelopment Economic Association, advise that these regulatory changes will allow the state to take action against such predatory operators. Michigan is an excellent example of a state that took this road and removed illegal gambling from its market.

Final Thoughts

Only three US states allow online sports betting platforms without having a land-based establishment within the territory of the state. Wyoming is one of them, and Bill 162 will allow the same for online casino websites. These changes to the law are not happening in Wyoming alone. Other states, such as Indiana and Maryland, are discussing similar regulations.