Wyoming is a state known for wide open spaces, and this is not shocking when you see the size of the land mass and then read the population numbers. A state also know for horses, the question we want to answer on this page is how Wyoming stacks up from the perspective of gambling laws, and what could change in coming years.
Sports Betting in Wyoming
With no professional sports teams in the state and only a small set of colleges, Wyoming residents find themselves being able to cheer for any number of teams, including some hockey teams north of the border in Canada. This may seem like a state that wouldn’t be into sports betting as a result, but that is not the case. Even though sports betting has been prohibited outside Nevada for years, there has been no shortage of action coming from the state. Time will tell if there is a compelling argument to add sports betting legislation in light of the changes that happened to that law on a federal scale.
Online Sports Betting
Residents of Wyoming have been gambling on sports for years, despite having no legal facilities to do so in the state. The bulk of the play has passed through the online sportsbooks that are located outside the country but which accept players from inside the U.S. illegally.
Unfortunately, it appears that noone is in a rush in Wyoming to correct this situation and so far no law has been passed to start offering legal sports betting in the state, either in the land-based casinos or online.
Horse Betting in Wyoming
It is good to see that the laws regarding pari-mutuel betting in Wyoming match the horse racing climate. There are two tracks in the state that offer live racing, but with a small population, there is a limited number of races that each track runs. Pari-mutuel betting in the state goes further than the live races, with each track and several off-track betting locations across the state allow players to bet on races being simulcast from other tracks in the U.S and Canada. This all adds up to there being multiple races every day on which someone from Wyoming could bet if they so choose.
Online Horse Betting
The liberal pari-mutuel laws are great for land-based facilities, but none of these license holders are able to extend their relationship with their patrons to online play. That is instead the jurisdiction of several sites that are licensed out of Oregon but seem to be able to take play from any state that offers horse betting. DRFBEts, Xpressbet, and Twinspires are the leaders in this space, and while it is not beneficial to local tracks, you can still create and fund an account at these sites in minutes and make bets with ease. You can then watch the races right from the site you choose thanks to their live streaming functionality.
Casino Gambling in Wyoming
As you can imagine, the days and nights can get long in this area of the country, and people are often looking for something to do with their time. Enter casinos, which have been a form of entertainment across the world for decades. The journey to casino gambling in Wyoming has been a long and winding one and one that involves the tribal nations who identify with the state.
The initial gaming licenses awarded to tribal groups were for bingo only, but as the years went on, the facilities started adding new products. It started by adding some slot machines, and then over time table games, and video poker was also added. Finally there were a few facilities in the state that offered a full set of casino games for locals and tourists to enjoy. There are also “Historical Racing” Machines available at the racetracks, which actually fall under pari-mutuel rules even though they have a look and feel of a slot machine.
Online Casinos in Wyoming
At this stage, there are no land-based casinos that offer players online games for real money (there are a couple of social casinos open though). This means that all online play currently resides offshore in the form of illegal online casinos. Just as on the question of sports betting, it does not seem like the politicians are in a hurry to correct the mistakes that made online gambling illegal in the state of Wyoming. Residents therefore remain at the mercy of rogue international online casinos that offer no protection and no guarantee of fairness.
Lottery in Wyoming
Wyoming was actually one of the very few states that did not have an active lottery. This changed back in 2013 when the state finally established a Lottery, but the state still doesn’t offer the variety of games that other states do. We expect that there will be a natural expansion of the lottery in years to come.
Wyoming Gambling FAQ
Is sports betting legal in Wyoming?
Sports betting is not legally offered in Wyoming, but that isn’t stopping gamblers from finding ways to get in their bets. From back-alley bookies to online sportsbooks based offshore, there are many bad ways for players to get their fix while the state decides on whether or not it will follow other states into the regulated market.
When will sports betting be legal in Wyoming?
Wyoming is one of the states that has had the least amount of public chatter about the potential of regulated sports betting, and that doesn’t bode well for those who are hoping to bet at local facilities in 2019. While there is still an outside chance of regulation, we suspect we are not going to see a bill pass until at least 2020.
What is the best online sportsbook for residents of Wyoming?
Picking a place to make your sports bets is a more personal choice than you might imagine. This is a place you are going to give your personal details, send real money, and expect to be paid when you win your bets. Aside from picking an online sportsbook that has a great user interface, you will also want to feel completely comfortable with the site you choose. We hope our website will give you the information that you need to make an intelligent choice when it comes to choosing an online sportsbook.