Wyoming: status at a glance
| Online casino | Not authorized |
|---|---|
| Sports betting | Online and retail |
| Online poker | Not authorized |
| Sweepstakes casinos | No ban found in our sources |
The answer by product
Online sports wagering is the one form of internet gambling Wyoming has authorized, and the Legislature did it by statute in 2021. Online casino games and online poker are not licensed anywhere in the state's gambling laws we read. A site offering them to Wyoming residents does so without a Wyoming permit.
The sports betting by state page places Wyoming next to the other states with online wagering. The online poker by state page shows where poker is licensed.
The regulator
The Wyoming Gaming Commission, based in Casper, describes its primary mission as protecting the wagering public and the health, safety and welfare of participants in all lawful gaming and pari-mutuel activity. Its site lists separate sections for online sports wagering, pari-mutuel wagering, historic horse racing, charitable gaming, skill-based amusement games, responsible gaming, rules and revenue reports.
According to the Legislative Service Office, the Commission began in 1967 as the Wyoming Pari-Mutuel Board, was renamed the Pari-Mutuel Commission in 1971, and later became the Gaming Commission when its duties expanded. It is the body that issues the sports betting permits described below.
How online sports wagering became legal
Wyoming permitted online sports wagering effective September 1, 2021, through Chapter 100 of the 2021 Session Laws. The rules sit in Wyoming Statutes sections 9-24-101 through 9-24-106. The statute defines online sports wagering as wagering run by a sports wagering operator through a sports wagering account, using a computer, digital platform or mobile application, and it excludes wagering conducted from a physical location created by an operator.
Operators, their vendors and key personnel must be permitted or licensed by the Commission. The Legislative Service Office reports that permits were issued in 2021 but wagering activity did not begin until 2022. It also reports that operators remit a share of revenue: ten percent of the total remitted revenue goes to the Commission, the first $300,000 each fiscal year goes to the Department of Health for county gambling abuse and treatment programs, and the rest supports the general fund. Its tables show wagering activity of $144,522,131 in 2022 and $172,247,303 in 2023.
Other forms of legal gambling
The Commission also oversees three older or smaller categories, which the Legislative Service Office memorandum describes.
- Pari-mutuel wagering, authorized in 1967, covers live horse racing and simulcasting. The Legislature authorized historic horse racing in 2013, and the memorandum reports that it accounts for roughly 99 percent of pari-mutuel revenue received by the state.
- Skill-based amusement games, authorized by Chapter 114 of the 2020 Session Laws, are commercial devices at truck stops, smoke shops and similar licensed venues where skill rather than chance is the primary factor in the outcome. Operators and vendors need a Commission license and each game carries a Commission decal.
- Charitable gaming has its own section on the Commission's site, which we did not open in detail.
None of these is an online casino. The memorandum also notes that a 2024 law directed a statewide study of gaming, including the Commission's structure and oversight, so the framework may change.
Sweepstakes casinos and offshore sites
We found no Wyoming sweepstakes casino statute. A sweepstakes casino accepting Wyoming players operates outside the regulated sports wagering framework, since the state licenses no online casino. The analysis for the whole country is on the are sweepstakes casinos legal page, and the list of states that have banned them is on the sweepstakes banned states page.
The statute does make it an offense to knowingly accept online sports wagers or run a sports wagering business without a valid Commission permit or license, according to a summary of section 9-24-106. For general information about unlicensed overseas sites, see the offshore casinos page.
Getting help
The Commission's site has a responsible gaming section. The national line is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), and the National Council on Problem Gambling lists resources at ncpgambling.org. We did not read a Wyoming helpline page, so we give no state number. The responsible gambling page covers tools that apply anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Is online sports betting legal in Wyoming?
Yes. It has been permitted since September 1, 2021, through operators the Gaming Commission permits. Wagering began in 2022.
Are there online casinos in Wyoming?
No licensed ones. The state's gambling statutes we read cover pari-mutuel wagering, skill-based amusement games, charitable gaming and online sports wagering, but not online casino games.
Who regulates gambling in Wyoming?
The Wyoming Gaming Commission, which handles pari-mutuel wagering, online sports wagering and skill-based amusement games.
Can I use a sweepstakes casino in Wyoming?
We found no Wyoming law that addresses them directly. They hold no state license, since the state licenses no online casino.