Wyoming (WY)

Over the last decade, sports gambling has been a critical point of discussion in the US. But still, Wyoming has no retail sportsbooks operating within its borders, and the only form of legal betting is online wagering.

Notably, several tribal casinos in the state intend to offer sports gambling services, but they will have to do so by the tribal laws that exist in the state. With that said, there are currently only four WY betting apps for bettors.

Online Sports Betting in Wyoming

Because of the varied opinions from legislators in both houses concerning the gambling bill, the decision to legalize Wyoming's online sports betting was not an easy one to make. The lawmakers in the state drafted rules and regulations that directed how sportsbooks and bookmakers in WY should work.

The houses finally approved the bill that allowed sportsbooks to develop sports wagering apps a month later. Afterward, Gov Mark Gordon signed off on the bill to make it law in April 2021. Currently, the state of Wyoming permits sports bets made online. The state has only four tribal casinos for in-person wagering on Class III games. These gaming rooms existed even before discussions on sports betting in the state began.

Also, neighboring states like Utah had already legalized online sports betting. Since WY has no restrictions when it comes to offshore sports gambling, bettors could still use online bookies in those states. However, bettors should be cautious about placing wagers through these apps. This is because Wyoming betting laws don't regulate them. So, should problems arise, the WY government cannot intervene.

For state-regulated bookies, all operations are governed by The Wyoming Gaming Commission. This body oversees the whole sports betting industry in the state, ensuring that bookmakers follow all the established rules.

Sports Betting Legislation in WY

In February 2020, lawmakers tabled the first sports betting bill (HB133). This bill proposed an online-only form of wagering with a 16% tax rate. However, when the bill got to the WY House of Representatives, it flopped with a 32-27 vote.

In Oct 2020, the North Arapaho (a native tribe) announced their plan to launch retail bookies in the existing casinos. However, the tribe could not go further with the plans since WY's sports wagering was still illegal. In fact, in an unprecedented twist, the House of Representatives chose to reconsider the sports betting bill in March 2021. Indeed, HB 133 then moved to the Wyoming Senate, where the lawmakers overwhelmingly supported its cause.

On April 6, 2021, sports wagering became legal after Gov. Mark Gordon signed HB 133 into law. After Tennessee, Wyoming became the second state to have an online-only sports betting market. However, the state will probably allow tribal casinos to offer all retail sports gambling soon.

Restrictions

Currently, bettors in Wyoming are free to place wagers online using sports betting applications and websites. When the US Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on betting, it gave all states the freedom to formulate their own laws. As such, WY has some strict restrictions concerning sports wagering within its borders.

First, wagering is only possible for individuals who are 18 years or older. Secondly, punters in any self-exclusion list cannot place bets within state lines. Thirdly, all licensed sports betting apps must set up shop within state lines. Finally, licensed bookmakers should not offer high school sports wagering markets.

Licensing and Taxes

Even though it is legal to wager on sports, the WY wagering law dictates that sportsbooks must obtain valid licensing. The law mandates the Wyoming Gaming Commission to issue gambling-related licenses within state lines. Sports betting operators are free to apply for licenses at the cost of $100,000 for the first 5-year plan.

Afterwards, the operators will pay a renewal fee of $50,000 when due. Regarding taxation, the law requires every sports betting site to pay 16% of their gross revenue each year. Currently, this makes WY one of the cheapest US states for sportsbooks to set up shop.

How profitable has sports betting been in Wyoming?

Since Wyoming has strict rules in terms of who can offer sports betting, they are typically behind most states in terms of monthly numbers. Since launching in September of 2021, the state has accumulated over $225 million dollars in sports betting handle. Here we'll take a look at their monthly numbers for handle, revenue, and tax income.

• October 2023:

  • Sports betting handle: $21.2m

  • Revenue: $2.27m

  • Tax Income: $141,087

• September 2023: Handle: $19.2m, Revenue: $1.52m, Tax Income: $51,752

• August 2023: Handle: $10.4m, Revenue: $1.2m, Tax Income: $84,103

• July 2023: Handle: $8.14m, Revenue: $998,740. Tax Income: $68,363

• June 2023: Handle: $9.48m, Revenue: $775,389. Tax Income: $37,705

• May 2023: Handle: $12.7m, Revenue: $1.3m, Tax Income: $81,448

• April 2023: Handle: $12.6m, Revenue: $1.26m, Tax Income: $82,848

• March 2023: Handle: $14.7m, Revenue: $1.83m, Tax Income: $130,677

• February 2023: Handle: $11.5m, Revenue: $1.1m, Tax Income: $54,296

• January 2023: Handle: $14.3m, Revenue: $1.58m, Tax Income: $94,081

2022

• December 2022: Handle: $15.08m, Revenue: $1.80m, Tax Income: $135,101

• November 2022: Handle: $16.7m, Revenue: $1.47m, Tax Income: $100,009

• October 2022: Handle: $17.2m, Revenue: $2.03m, Tax Income: $115,893

• September 2022: Handle: $13.5m, Revenue: $1.93m, Tax Income: $115,550

• August 2022: Handle: $10.99m, Revenue: $1.23m, Tax Income: $85,672

• July 2022: Handle: $7.24m, Revenue: $680,740. Tax Income: $38,365

• June 2022: Handle: $7.32m, Revenue: $673,269. Tax Income: $38,036

• May 2022: Handle: $9.34m, Revenue: $1.01m, Tax Income: $53,163

• April 2022: Handle: $9.99m, Revenue: $1m, Tax Income: $51,187

• March 2022: Handle: $12.7m, Revenue: $1.1m, Tax Income: $44,806

• February 2022: Handle: $10.3m, Revenue: $722,631. Tax Income: $18,824

• January 2022: Handle: $13.9m, Revenue: $1.09m, Tax Income: $46,565

What is legal to bet on in WY?

Today, the licensed sportsbooks in Wyoming offer a wide range of betting markets, and unlike in other states, there are no restrictions when it comes to wagering on collegiate programs. Indeed, punters in the state can gamble on almost all sporting activities.

Licensed betting apps always offer hundreds of wagering lines on the regular, and these betting lines usually cover all major league events, international sports, and eSports. Bettors in the state can wager legally on the NBA, Super Bowl, MLB, among other leagues. Indeed, punters can place wagers on non-athletic events, such as award shows and chugging events.

Also, the four tribal casinos in the state offer events such as horse races and daily fantasy contests that bettors can wager on. Again, with legal online gambling, bettors enjoy live wagering markets in various bookies.

Aside from placing bets within state lines, punters are free to use offshore sportsbook apps. Such apps offer more competitive odds when it comes to international sports betting. As such, bettors can place bets on the World Cup and the World Rugby Championship.

Gambling news and updates from Wyoming

• April 20, 2023: Wyoming bounced back in handle, revenue, and tax income in the month of March, setting highs in all areas for 2023.

• March 18, 2023: The state of Wyoming sees a decrease in handle, revenue, and tax income over the month of February. All totals were the lowest since August of 2022.

• February 21, 2023: Wyoming becomes the first state to offer Dana White's Power Slap Fighting League to be wagered on.

How do mobile sportsbook apps work in Wyoming?

Legalizing mobile wagering in Wyoming allowed the growth of sports betting apps. After the Wyoming Gaming Commission was tasked with issuing gaming licenses, only two apps could start operating state-wide, according to the already formulated sports gambling laws.

DraftKings went live in WY, the first day online sports betting in the state became legal. BetMGM was the second bookie to go live, followed by FanDuel, which launched in November of the same year. On 3rd February 2022, the Pointsbet sportsbook went live in the state. Moreover, according to a spokesperson in the WY Pari-Mutuel Commission, Barstool sportsbook has shown interest in WY.

Before these sportsbooks launched, players used offshore sportsbooks to bet online, and some apps were available in neighboring states. However, whether a punter uses a local or offshore sportsbook app, they will always find relatively similar betting markets.

Besides that, the sports betting apps in WY always require bettors’ identification documents. This may be in the registration phase or later when a punter requests a withdrawal. The following section will mention all that a bettor will be required to do to set up a user account in WY. Apart from that, Wyoming betting apps offer benefits from time to time to help maintain customer loyalty.

Getting started - Step-by-step

Punters first need to identify a bookmaker they think will fulfill their wagering needs to bet on sports online in Wyoming. After that, they should follow this procedure to get started with WY sports betting.

1. Sign up and create your account: Using the bookmaker's official website, the bettor can set up an account by clicking on the Sign-up button. Most sites will require the bettor's SSN, full name, and email address. It is essential to fill up all sections truthfully.

2. Download the sports betting app you want to use: Next up is the download procedure. The best betting sites always have apps for different operating systems. Therefore, a bettor should only download a sportsbook app based on their device's platform.

3. Deposit to your account: The bettor should fund their betting account using a preferred payment option. Usually, sportsbooks have minimum and maximum bets. Punters should read the terms and conditions concerning this.

4. Claim the offered bonuses and free bets: After funding their betting account, the bettor should check out any welcome bonuses.

5. Start placing your bets: Players can proceed to place a bet successfully with their stake, welcome bonus, and free bets.

Bonuses and WY sports betting offers

Since WY's sports wagering apps are increasing, there is stiff competition to grab the largest market share. For this reason, sports betting sites in Wyoming usually offer the following types of bonuses.

1. Risk-free bets: Bettors get risk-free bets if they lose their first-ever wager. Such refunds are not withdrawable, and if punters lose their second bet, they lose the free credits. For example, BetMGM offers up to $1000 in free credits to Wyoming sports bettors, and players must therefore bet with more than that amount to qualify.

2. Match Deposit bonus: A bettor receives bonus credits to match their initial deposit. Typically, such rewards do not go beyond $1000. For example, FanDuel offers a 100% deposit match of up to $500.

Payment methods for depositing

Wyoming's four sports betting apps currently support a wide range of banking methods, ensuring flexibility in terms of payment. Notably, the available options are similar to those used in Wyoming's neighboring states like Idaho. This is always the case since some punters in WY also depend on offshore sports betting apps to place wagers.

That said, sportsbook payment methods in the state are safe, and their transaction speeds are also nothing to fault. However, some ways, like credit/debit cards, are only viable for cash-ins, and others, like bank transfers, work best in withdrawals.

Overall, punters in Wyoming can use American Express, e-wallets, bank transfers, and e-checks to deposit money into their betting accounts.

Trusted Wyoming sports betting mobile apps in 2023

As with any industry, sports gambling requires operators to maintain a positive reputation, yet another way that betting operators can lure more customers to their sites. As a result, the mobile sportsbook sites in WY always do their level best to remain trustworthy.

The critical pointers to trusted bookies include user safety, user experience, and convenience. Based on the criteria mentioned earlier, the following are the trusted WY sports betting mobile apps.

1.BetMGM: Arguably, most sports betting aficionados have previously encountered this name. BetMGM began operating in the United States back in 201. Its headquarters are in New Jersey. The betting operator came about as a result of a collaboration between MGM Resorts and Entain Holdings.

2. FanDuel: This app stands out as one of the first sports betting sites in the state of Wyoming. In the United States, FanDuel started operating in 2009. The decade-long run results from its trustworthiness among bettors all over the US. The bookie has its headquarters in New York. Today, it is one of the most trusted bookies in Wyoming.

Other sportsbooks that WY players can check out are DraftKings and Caesars. There is also one more application that is still being processed, with the likelihood it is either for Barstool Sportsbook or Pointsbet.

Wyoming sports betting at casinos

Today, the state of WY does not have retail casinos or land-based sportsbooks because there are concerns regarding tribal casinos in the state. Even so, bettors in the state have the freedom to travel to other states with retail casinos for in-person betting.

Like other US states with legal sports betting, Wyoming has restrictions regarding this type of gambling. For example, the state’s betting law requires all licensed sportsbook operators to offer services within state lines, meaning that WY bookies won’t accept real money wagers outside its borders. When logging into their account, they use geo-location software that traces a punter’s current location.

Notably, some players get around these restrictions through VPNs. While this may work, it’s usually risky since bookmakers can permanently close a bettor’s account if such an action is noticed.