Wyoming Gambling
There are several forms of legalized gambling in Wyoming. This includes a state lottery, reservation casinos and horse racing. There are also two online gambling niches available to Wyoming residents.
Wyoming Online Gambling
The only form of online gambling that is legal through legislation is off-track betting on horses. Wyoming Downs does not offer this feature. It is only available through websites and mobile apps provided by TVG, TwinSpires and BetAmerica. The odds provided by all three companies are identical. Bettors should research promotions offered by each to find the best deal when placing wagers on horses.
Daily fantasy sites like DraftKings and FanDuel are legal in Wyoming through the state’s skill gaming laws, according to these companies. Wyoming’s attorney general has not issued an opinion on the daily fantasy sports industry. State lawmakers have yet to introduce any legislation to clarify the situation.
There are countless online gambling sites that accept Wyoming players. These groups offer sports betting, poker and casino games. None of these companies are licensed to operate in Wyoming. Players should understand the risks depositing at these sites as there is no dispute resolution process.
Online gaming works — it’s been licensed in Europe for years, and in the US it’s already licensed in New Jersey, Nevada, and in Delaware. If you are a resident of the fine state of Wyoming, don’t just sit there — make your voice heard.
Wyoming Casinos
There are four casinos in Wyoming. All are on tribal land in the western part of the state. Slots, video poker, live poker, blackjack and other house-banked games that use cards are permitted. Table games of luck, including craps and roulette, are not legal. The only live poker room is at Wind River Casino. The room, for lack of a better room, hosts just one table.
Wyoming Poker
In addition to the one table at Wind River Casino, open just a few hours each week, poker is legal in bars. The state’s social gaming laws permit this, according to the operators.
Wyoming Horse Racing
There is one live racetrack in Wyoming. It is Wyoming Downs in Evanston, just across the border from Utah. In addition to seasonal races, Wyoming Downs offers an off-track betting parlor at eight branded locations throughout the state. There are three bars in Wyoming that offer simulcast betting.
Wyoming legalized instant racing machines in 2013. The games are similar to slot machines. The devices use random historical races to determine the outcome, which are then displayed in slot form. The state’s attorney general determined that the games violated state law due to bonus spins that are independent from the coinciding races. The games are currently unavailable while Wyoming Downs and its subsidiary facilities work on a fix to comply with the attorney general’s opinion.
Wyoming Charity Gambling
Charities in Wyoming may offer games of chance. Bingo is the most popular choice. Raffles and pull tabs are also permitted. Charity gaming laws create a loophole that allows the same games at the state’s four tribal casinos.
Wyoming Lottery
WyoLotto, as the Wyoming state lottery is branded, joins North Dakota as the only two states that only offer lotto drawings. Lotteries in Wyoming and North Dakota are not permitted to sell scratch-off tickets.
WyoLotto was created when Governor Matt Mead signed HB 77 into law on March 13, 2013. The first lotto ticket was sold on July 1, 2013.
Scratch-off tickets are not permissible in Wyoming. The state lottery also does not spread keno or video lottery. WyoLotto has just three games. Cowboy Draw is its instate lotto game. Wyoming pools interstate liquidity for its Powerball land Mega Millions drawings.
WyoLotto hoped to stop the state’s bleeding into lotteries in the border states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana and South Dakota. It also markets to Utah residents. Utah is one of the just two states with no forms of gambling. Evanston, Wyoming is closer to Salt Lake City than Idaho is. This helps draw action from a market that was previously untapped.