After over an hour of discussion, the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee lacked enough support to advance House Bill 162, leading Chair Andrew Byron to declare it indefinitely postponed
Wyoming’s plan to make online casino gaming legal hit a snag on February 3 when state lawmakers chose not to push the bill forward.
Tribal Concerns and Gambling Risks Derail Wyoming Online Casino Bill
The Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee talked about House Bill 162 for more than an hour. In the end, they could not get enough backing to move it along. When no one seconded a motion to go ahead, committee head Andrew Byron said the bill was put off for good.
Even though this looks bad, the bill is not dead yet. Lawmakers have until February 12 to bring it back before the lawmaking session wraps up on March 6. However, the lack of support at Monday’s meeting shows that many people do not like the idea.
HB 162 faced major pushback from tribal representatives who cautioned that online gambling could hurt their communities. Leaders of the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes said that previous gaming expansions, like legal sports betting and historical horse racing, had already cut into their earnings. They worried that adding online casino games would further weaken their financial standing making it tough to pay for key services for tribal members.
Along with the tribes, groups focused on safe gambling practices also raised red flags about possible jumps in gambling addiction. They cautioned that making online gambling more available without strong protections might cause harmful effects on society.
Proponents Say Regulation Would Curb Illegal Gambling and Generate State Revenue
Arguing the opposite side, the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), a group that includes big online operators like BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, said that making online casinos legal would boost the economy and make things safer for consumers. Sarah Filosa speaking for the SBA, pointed out that moving from an unregulated market to a legal one would let the state make money from taxes while keeping a closer eye on gambling activities.
People backing the bill also highlighted offshore and sweepstakes-based gaming sites, like Chumba and Stake, which work in murky legal areas.
These websites provide free games but let users buy virtual tokens they can turn into real cash. John Pappas speaking for the iDevelopment Economic Association, said a controlled online gambling market would give Wyoming officials clear legal power to clamp down on such operators. He mentioned Michigan as a case where illegal gambling dropped after the state put rules in place.
Wyoming is one of three states that allow online sports betting but do not have brick-and-mortar sportsbooks. If passed, HB 162 would have made digital casino gaming legal without adding more in-person gambling choices.
The talk about online gambling is not just happening in Wyoming. This year at least eight other states, like Maryland, New Hampshire, and Indiana, are discussing similar regulations. However, many people still do not like these plans. For example, lawmakers in Virginia said no to a bill that was similar to the one in Wyoming.
