Betting in Wyoming
Is it possible to place bets on sporting events in Wyoming?
The state of Wyoming does, in fact, permit and facilitate wagering on sporting events. The market opened on September 1st, 2021, and four betting sites are now operating across the state. The state legislature approved the measure to make sports betting legal in Wyoming in 2021 and signed into law by Governor Mark Gordon. There was a strong effort to have Wyoming’s sportsbooks up and running before the start of the NFL season in September 2021.
Websites that provide online sports betting in Wyoming
A number of well-known operators may be found in the Wyoming sports betting sector. All of Wyoming’s sportsbooks are mobile, except for tribal casinos that provide the service at their physical locations. Although the overall number of locations in the state is expected to be five, there is always a possibility that there may be more. The following websites provide the best opportunities to wager on sports online in Wyoming:
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook is now operating in its 13th state. The first app to become operational in Wyoming was located in Wyoming. On the day of the launch, the WGC gave the app its clearance. Following openings in Virginia and Michigan in January, DraftKings is now available in Wyoming, which is the third state to do so this year.
Book of Bets at MGM Grand
The advent of BetMGM in Wyoming was the 14th state in which the MGM Resorts online brand made its first appearance. The BetMGM Wyoming app, which was developed via a partnership between Entain and MGM, was granted permission to go live on the same day as DraftKings.
Sportsbook provided by FanDuel.
After receiving approval in November 2021, the debut of FanDuel was expected for a number of months. The software is already rather popular in the United States, including in Colorado, which is nearby. It is most well-known for its navigation, speed, and betting capabilities, one of which is a same-game parlay option.
The Sportsbook at Caesars
Caesars came in June 2022, bringing with him a wealth of expertise gained over the years. Because it is already a well-known app in Colorado, it has successfully established a reputation for itself in Wyoming. The application is simple to navigate, unlike the website, which may be cumbersome at times. You may also sign up for Caesars Rewards, which is a casino loyalty programme that awards tier points and rewards.
Legal wagering on sports in Wyoming
The legislation approved to make sports betting legal in Wyoming establishes a market conducive to the business and is expected to encourage competition from the most well-known brands in the United States. The Wyoming authorities are required to grant out at least five betting licences in accordance with state law. On the other hand, there is no predetermined limit. Therefore there is always the opportunity for more.
The first charge for a five-year license will set operators back $100,000, and the subsequent renewal fee will be $50,000. The money generated by sports betting in Wyoming will be subject to a tax of 10% on gross revenues. The first $300,000 per year is designated specifically for the treatment of gambling addiction.
Gambling alternatives that are legal in Wyoming
There is no incentive to utilize alternative sites in Wyoming since sportsbooks are operational and legal in the state.
Some offshore sportsbook websites and mobile betting applications state that they can accept wagers from customers anywhere in the United States, including Wyoming. However, it is against the law for such bookmakers to take bets like that. In the United States, no gambling establishments have official authorization from the federal government. The regulators in each state and jurisdiction are the ones who are responsible for deciding which businesses are allowed to function under their watch.
When a gambler places wagers with such sportsbook operators, the bettor has no consumer safeguards against falling back on. These sportsbooks may decide not to pay out winning bets or may cease operations without returning client cash, both of which are options available to them.
How does gambling on sports in Wyoming compare to that in Colorado?
2020 saw the debut of one of the nation’s most substantial sports betting markets in Wyoming’s neighbor to the south. The legislative framework in Colorado is designed to promote a large number of people to participate in sports betting, which has led to a high percentage of mobile sportsbook use.
The laws of Colorado permit the operation of roughly thirty different licensed sportsbooks. The legislation in Wyoming mandates the issuance of at least five betting licences on sporting events, but it does not place a limit on the total number that may be granted.
The sports betting market in Colorado got underway when there was a break in the sporting schedule due to the coronavirus epidemic. Despite the difficulty of the situation, bets totaling $2.3 billion were placed at Colorado’s sportsbooks in the first year of operation in the state. Due to the state’s very low population, it is highly unlikely that Wyoming will produce anything near that level of handling.
The Colorado market is comprised of large-scale industry participants and more intimate regional sportsbooks. It is permissible for state casinos to form partnerships with sportsbooks in order to provide mobile sports betting across the whole state of Colorado.
The majority of gamblers in Wyoming place bets on the following sports:
Wyoming is a stunning state well-known for its variety of outdoor activities; nonetheless, it suffers from a severe shortage of sports entertainment options.
Given that it is played in most states in the United States, it is expected that football will be the sport with the most participants. However, it is difficult to choose a favorite club that may win the support of the people in the area.
Teams are all competing at the professional level in Wyoming. And while Colorado is home to four of the most successful professional sports franchises in the country — the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball, the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, and the Denver Broncos of the National Football League — only one of Colorado’s five neighboring states, Utah, fields a professional sports team.
Athletic teams compete in Division I of the Mountain West Conference, which is part of the University of Wyoming.
Together with Daily Fantasy Sports Wyoming
Wyoming is one of several states in the United States that does not prohibit daily fantasy sports, but the state also does not have a statute that regulates the competitions that include these sports.
This implies that the largest fantasy sports providers, such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo, will be able to offer contest and tournament entries to participants located inside the state of Wyoming.
Is it possible to participate in horse races in Wyoming?
The state of Wyoming does indeed permit horse racing. There are three tracks that host live racing, and they are as follows:
Sweetwater Events in Rock Springs, which are also run by Wyoming Horse Racing Energy Downs in Gillette, which Wyoming Horse Racing also operates
Evanston’s Wyoming Downs Racetrack, which Wyoming Downs runs, is located there.
In addition, wagering on horse races is permitted across the state of Wyoming.
There are a total of 12 off-track betting establishments located in the state. Wyoming Horse Racing manages five such facilities, while Wyoming Downs operates seven of them.
Bets on horse races may also be placed using advance deposit wagering providers, which is still another betting alternative. Bettors may make wagers on horse races using either desktop computers or mobile devices using.
Wyoming is home to several of the world’s most prominent ADW operators, including BetAmerica, TVG, and Twinspires.
Historic horse racing machines, which have the appearance of slot machines but actually base their payouts on results of races that took place in the past, are also permitted in the state.
FanDuel is the first app to emerge since September 2021, and it made its debut in Wyoming on March 10. Sports betting is expected to become legal in Wyoming in 2022. Caesars debuted in June, while PointsBet and Barstool are expected to start accepting customers in the coming weeks.
2021: With the introduction of House Bill 133, Representative Tom Walters launched another effort to legalize wagering on sporting events. After an initial vote against the measure, the House of Representatives eventually decided to rethink it and ended up passing it. The measure turned out to be one of the most surprising developments during the parliamentary session of 2021. It was a breeze through the Senate, and Governor Mark Gordon, who is now responsible for making it a law, signed it into effect in April. The Wyoming Gaming Commission moved fast to approve the regulations in preparation for the debut in September of 2021.
Midway through the month of February 2020, Representative Tom Walters and Senator Ogden Driskill sponsored and introduced House Bill 225, which would have allowed the wagering on sports on mobile devices and the internet. After just 16 days, it was defeated on the floor of the House of Representatives by a vote of 27 to 32. The law would have made it possible to get a betting license for an infinite number of sporting events at an initial cost of $20,000 and an annual renewal charge of $10,000. The money generated by sports betting would have been subject to a tax rate of 16%.
In an interview with Legal Sports Report, Walters said that he was unsure of how the vote would end since there were some people who were still deciding whether or not to vote in favor of the law. According to what he claimed, five of those individuals ended up voting against it.
This year, there was not enough of a desire for increased gambling, but the close vote implies that another attempt may go differently in 2021, as it did in the end.
Wyoming sports betting FAQ
Where can I place wagers on sporting events?
In Wyoming, the year 2021 saw the release of various legal betting on sports mobile applications. On Day 1, there were already two, and more ones are anticipated to begin operations in the days, weeks, and months to come.
Can I place bets on sports using my mobile device?
You may place legitimate wagers on sporting events using your mobile device. There are already a few legitimate choices available to Wyoming residents who want to make bets on the phone.
Some run illegal offshore sports betting operations, and they will tell you that they can take bets from persons anywhere in the United States, including Wyoming, using their websites or mobile applications.
That is in no way accurate. It is against the law for these sportsbooks, sometimes known as offshore operators since they do not have a license to operate in the United States to take bets from any location in the country.
Anyone who bets using these websites or applications will not be covered by any consumer protection laws that may assist them in the event that a problem arises. This implies that if the operator of the sportsbook decides not to pay out a wager or shuts the sportsbook without returning client cash, the bettor who was engaged in the bet has no legal option to obtain their money back and cannot receive their money back.
I’m in Wyoming; can I utilize the Colorado sportsbook applications?
No, the mobile sports betting applications offered in Colorado are incompatible with Wyoming. Each state that allows mobile sports betting mandates geolocation technology to confirm that the bettor is physically present inside the state when the wager is placed. This is done to comply with the federal rule that is outlined in the Wire Act.
Having said that, if you so want, you will be allowed to have accounts in both the state of Colorado and the state of Wyoming. If you want to bet in each state, you could be required to download a separate app.
