*** Green Light in Wyoming ****
Legal gambling seems inevitable nowadays and Wyoming is a state that likes to hold off for long as possible on that. The Equality State only got its lottery back in 2014 and tribal casino gambling a decade earlier, after refusing to negotiate for over 10 years and a drawn-out federal court battle. But with recently expanded track betting options, legal social poker, slots, and table games – Wyoming gambling enthusiasts can find a variety of options if they know where to look.
Wyoming Legal Gambling History
Wyoming has always been a strict anti-gambling state and at times even stand-offish, unwilling to open up to talks. This was made clear after the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was established in 1988, a federal act that allowed tribes to negotiate deals, called “compacts”, with the state to open casinos on tribal land.
A lot of states reached agreements with tribal members, some reluctantly, while Wyoming refused to negotiate at all. Because of the state’s unwillingness, Wyoming’s tribal casinos were a late arrival on the scene. It took 10 years of the Arapaho Tribe battling it out in court for things begin to roll.
In 1967 Wyoming legalized pari-mutuel race track betting and established its race commission. Track betting may have come out the gate hot in Wyoming but began to decline shortly after.
In 2005 the battle for tribal casino gambling had come to an end when a Federal court ruled in favor of Wyoming’s Arapaho Tribe, granting them full-rights to offer casino gambling on their land.
The next year in 2006, Wyoming’s other two tribes brought their compacts to the table which allowed them to open casinos on their land.
Wyoming was a lottery late bloomer. After 20 years of push, the state lottery was established in 2013 with the first ticket sold the next year in 2014.
Also in 2014, to help revive the all-but-dead track racing industry in Wyoming, the state’s racing commission allowed for simulcast betting and electronic gaming terminals.
Wyoming Gambling Legal Status
It is legal in Wyoming for players to gamble at the state’s tribal casinos on slots, poker, and table games.
Wyoming allows for social poker as long as all participants already know each other and that nobody is profiting from hosting the game.
There is no online gambling in Wyoming and the only types of sports betting are for race track wagering which allows simulcast betting and electronic gaming machines.
The state lottery is legal in the state of Wyoming which includes Mega Millions but excludes scratch-offs or “instant-gratification games”.
Under strict licensing and regulation, you will find charity gambling in the state, usually in the form of bingo, raffles, and casino nights.
The only thing Wyoming isn’t overly-strict about is its legal gambling age, which is 18 years and older for all types.
Wyoming Land-Based Casinos
The state of Wyoming is home to 4 tribal casinos and several slot options. The largest casino is by far the Wind River Casino, which offers players over 800 slot machines, video poker, and tables games like blackjack and roulette.
- 789 Smokeshop & Casino – Riverton
- Little Wind Casino – Riverton
- Wind River Casino – Riverton
- Shoshone Rose Casino & Hotel – Lander
Wyoming is also home to 3 poker rooms at the following locations:
- Garth and Katies Place – Casper
- Laramie Poker – Laramie
- and Wind River Casino – Riverton
Wyoming Legal Sports Betting and Daily Fantasy Sports
They only types of legal sports betting in Wyoming are pari-mutuels at the track, simulcast betting, and electronic gaming terminals.
It’s unlikely that we’ll see any other types of sports betting enter in any time soon. Wyoming is strict anti-gambling and to date, no efforts have been made to legalize sports betting.
There is nothing in Wyoming’s laws that say anything about daily fantasy sports. But technically they haven’t been made “legal”.
Wyoming Legal Gambling FAQ’s
What are the legal forms of gambling in the state of Wyoming?
- Tribal based casino gambling including slots, poker, and table games.
- Social poker.
- Off-track betting including pari-mutuels, simulcasts, and electronic gaming terminals.
- State lottery including Mega Millions.
Will online gambling or sports betting make its way to Wyoming any time soon?
Unlikely that it’ll be soon. If history has shown us anything it’s that Wyoming will hold off for as long as they possibly can on it.
