Wyoming sports betting and online sports betting is legal in the state – and Wyoming sports betting launched on 1st September 2021.
BetMGM and DraftKings sportsbook were the first online sports betting sites to open their apps up to the Wyoming market – on the very first day of legalization. This was followed in March 2002 by FanDuel. On 3rd February, PointsBet was approved but hasn’t announced a launch date yet.
In addition, Caesars Sportsbook and Barstool Sportsbook also applied and are still awaiting approval.
However, although the state has several mobile betting sites available, there are not any commercial casinos available in the state. Wyoming does have four tribal casinos that are operated by the Native American tribes and they have the right to offer Class III gaming so they can offer sports betting – however, this isn’t available just yet.
So, in conclusion, the sports betting industry is pretty established, with legal online sports betting – plus the option for retail sports betting at tribal casinos.
Wyoming Sports Betting Right Now
January 2022
3rd January 2022: The November sports betting figures were released by the Wyoming Pari-Mutuel Commission – which showed a small increase from October. The state’s sportsbooks reported a sports handle of around $11 million in wagers, which generated around $1.4 million in revenue.
26th January 2022: It was announced that Wyoming sports betting sites took around $12.3 million in Wagers for December 2021. The sportsbooks generated around $81,504 in revenue, with the state receiving $27,791 in tax.
February 2022
25th February 2022: Wyoming’s eastern neighbor, South Dakota, started a discussion around expanding its sports betting to allow for statewide mobile betting. The proposal made it through the Senate but was killed off by the House committee.
3rd February 2022: PointsBet was approved to operate in Wyoming by the Wyoming Pari-Mutuel Commission. This will be the fourth sportsbook to be approved in the state after BetMGM, DraftKings and Caesars.
March 2022
30th March 2022: The Wyoming Gaming Commission confirmed a $10.3 million sports betting handle in February, which was down from almost $14 million in January. The state’s sportsbooks generated $188,236 in revenue, which left the state with $18,823 in taxes.
10th March 2022: FanDuel was announced as the third active sportsbook in Wyoming, alongside BetMGM and DraftKings. PointsBet should be coming soon.
7th March 2022: The Wyoming Pari-Mutuel Commission announced $14 million in bets for January, including Super Bowl wagers. They held 7.9% for $1.1 million in revenue. The Super Bowl was the main event, taking $1.2 million in bets and generating $246,987 in revenue.
Legal Sports Betting in Wyoming
So, the facts are this. Sports betting is legal and thriving in the state of Wyoming. The market officially launched on 1st September 2021, with DraftKings and BetMGM available. State legislators passed the bill to authorize legal sports betting in 2021 which was signed into law by Governor Mark Gordon. They made big efforts to make betting legal in Wyoming – and fully launched before the start of the 2021 NFL season in September.
The Status of Wyoming Sports Betting
Wyoming sports betting became live after it was given the go-ahead by the governor and state legislators in spring 2021. The rules and regulations regarding the governing of sportsbooks in Wyoming were approved by August of that same year.
Eventually, sports betting options in Wyoming should be plentiful. They have set a tax rate of 10% on sports betting revenue. It currently runs a mobile-only market and only sports betting sites that operate in at least three other states can apply for a license.
Online Sports Betting Sites in Wyoming
The Wyoming Gaming Commission started working on regulations in time to launch state sports betting by the start of September – for the NFL season. The Wyoming sports betting market includes operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM, with PointsBet joining the market and more expected to come.
Sports betting in Wyoming is online only – unless any tribal casinos opt to start offering sports betting on their land. So, yes, the state has made online sports betting legal, with an extended selection of online sportsbooks expected.
BetMGM
BetMGM opened up in Wyoming, making it its 14th state debut for the MGM Resorts online betting brand. This was approved for launch at the same time as DraftKings and was available on the day sports betting was launched in the state.
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings is available in 13 states now – and was one of the first available in the state along with BetMGM. This was also available on the first day of sports betting in the state.
FanDuel
FanDuel was approved in November 2021 and was launched in the following months. This is already a hugely popular sports betting app in the US, especially in the neighbouring state of Colorado. It is well known for excellent features such as same game parleys.
Wyoming Sports Betting Law
The Wyoming sports betting law was passed to offer a real industry-friendly market that will undoubtedly attract some of the biggest sports betting brands in the US.
The Wyoming state law requires that regulators need to hand out a minimum of 5 state sports betting licenses. However, there is no limit to the amount they can happen, which means we can expect even more.
Operators are required to pay $100,000 for an initial 5-year license. This will be followed by a $50,000 renewal fee afterwards. Wyoming sports betting revenue is taxed at 10% on gross proceeds, with the first $30,000 each year set aside for gambling addiction assistance.
Wyoming Sports Betting Bills
In 2020, state legislators attempted to push through two sports betting bills in relation to gaming in Wyoming: HB 225 and HB 234, although none passed beyond the committee stage.
Then, in 2021, the HB 133 sports betting bill created the new sports betting market in Wyoming.
Legal Wyoming Betting Options
Wyoming sportsbooks should give bettors in the state a good variety of betting options. There are now three active sportsbooks, with another three approved. These offer all different betting markets for both professional and college sports betting.
The only other options for sports betting in the state are the offshore sports betting websites that claim to accept customers from all over the US.
However, this is not a legal option – as there are not any gambling organizations that are licensed at federal level in the US. Legal sports betting sites are required to be regulated and licensed at state level.
Anyone that chooses to bet at one of these sports betting sites will have no consumer protection, which means that you would have no legal rights if the betting site chose not to pay out your winnings.
Wyoming Sports Betting Compared to Colorado
Colorado, Wyoming’s southern neighbor, launched one of the country’s most robust sports betting markets back in 2020. The Colorado sports betting market attracts plenty of mobile sportsbook users.
The Colorado state law allows for around three dozen legal sports betting sites. Meanwhile, the law in Wyoming only specified that they issue at least five sports betting licenses. However, there is no maximum cap set.
The Colorado sports betting market originally launched in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic when there were no sporting events. Despite this, Colorado sports betting sites still took $2.3 billion in the opening year. Wyoming is unlikely to replicate that success given it has the country’s smallest population.
Colorado’s sports betting market offers the biggest sports betting names as well as smaller regional sports betting sites. The state casinos are able to partner with mobile sports betting sites to offer mobile sports betting anywhere in the state.
The Most Popular Sports to Bet on in Wyoming
Although Wyoming is a stunning state, it’s not great for sporting activity. Like in most other states, the most popular sport in Wyoming would probably be the NFL – but given its location, which team would get the state residents’ support isn’t clear.
There aren’t any professional sports teams based in Wyoming. And, aside from Colorado’s four major professional sports teams – the MLB’s Colorado Rockies, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and the NFL’s Denver Broncos, only one of its five other border states is home to a pro team – the Uthe NBA team, Utah Jazz.
In addition, the University of Wyoming has a Division I sports program in the Mountain West Conference.
Daily Fantasy Sports in Wyoming
Like most of the other states in the US, Wyoming has not officially outlawed or legalized daily fantasy sports betting.
As such, big operators such as DraftKings, Yahoo and FanDuel are able to offer DFS contests and tournament entries to Wyoming players.
Legal Horse Racing in Wyoming
Horse racing is legal in the state of Wyoming with three tracks offering live racing…
- Energy Downs in Gillette which is operated by Wyoming Horse Racing
- Sweetwater Events in Rock Springs which is also operated by Wyoming Horse Racing
- Wyoming Downs Racetrack in Evanston which is operated by Wyoming Downs
Moreover, horse racing betting is also legal in Wyoming.
As it stands, the state has 12 off-track horse racing betting facilities. Seven of these are operated by Wyoming Downs whilst five are operated by Wyoming Horse Racing.
The other option available to horse racing bettors in the state is betting via advance deposit wagering operators, which allows players to bet on desktop and mobile. The biggest names are available in Wyoming including TwinSpires, TVG and BetAmerica.
Wyoming Sports Betting Timeline
2022
FanDuel became the first sports betting app to launch in 2022, debuting in March. PointsBet was also approved and is expected to launch in 2022.
2021
Rep. Tom Walters made a push towards the legalization of sports betting with bill HB 133. At first, the bill was voted down by the House, but the following day it was reconsidered – and passed.
This legislation easily passed the Senate and was signed into law in April by Gov. Mark Gordon.
The Wyoming Gaming Commission then had to work quickly in order to create the rules and regulations to allow for a September launch
2020
Sports betting bill H 225 was sponsored by both Sen. Ogden Driskill and Rep. Tom Walters. This would have legalized sports betting online and on mobile. However, it was filled in a House vote after just 16 days.
This bill would have paved the way for an unlimited number of sports betting sites in the state, awarding licenses for a fee of $20,000 initially plus a yearly renewal fee of $10,000. The bill would also see sports betting revenue being taxed at 16%
Although there was some uncertainty as to how the vote would turn out, as there were some voters sitting on the fence, with five of the voters voting against it, it was a close call but it never passed.
As such, although the appetite in the state for expanded gambling legislation wasn’t quite there, the close vote did suggest that things could be different in 2021 – and indeed they were.
Wyoming Sports Betting FAQ
Where Can I Bet on Sports in Wyoming?
There are currently three legalized sports betting apps for Wyoming sports bettors, with three more set to launch in 2022,
Is Mobile Sports Betting Legal in Wyoming?
Yes, mobile and online sports betting are legal in the state of Wyoming and there are several different options available in the state.
There are also illegal offshore betting sites that claim to accept sports bettors from all across the United States, including Wyoming.
However, this is simply not true. These sports betting operators – offshore sportsbooks are not licensed to operate in the US and aren’t legally supposed to accept wagers from US residents.
Should you choose to bet on any of these websites or sports betting apps then you would have zero consumer protection if any issue does arise. So, for example, if the sports betting operator decides not to pay out on a winning bet – or even close operations without returning your money, then there are no legal actions you can take, so it will be hard to get your money back.
Are Colorado Sportsbook Apps Legal in Wyoming?
No, a Colorado sports betting app will not be regulated or licensed to operate in Wyoming. Every state that has legalized online sports betting will use geolocation technology that will verify where you are located to make sure you are within state borders when you place your bet.
However, that being said, sports bettors can have an account in both Wyoming and Colorado if they so choose, but you may need a different app for both states.
Legalizing sports betting in the state has been popular so far – and it is growing in popularity, but there are more legal options in neighboring Colorado.
