Wyoming Internet Sports Betting Bill Dies With House Floor Vote

• Bill WY HB 0225 would have made mobile sports betting legal in the state of Wyoming.
• The bill had its third reading on the House Floor on Friday where it failed to pass.
• The decision on the fate of the legalization of gambling on sporting events in the Cowboy State was made 13 days before the legislative session concludes for 2020.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Bill WY HB0225 to make mobile betting on sports in Wyoming a legal activity was heard for the third and final time on the House floor Friday where it failed to pass.

WY HB0225 was first introduced on February 12 to the House, exactly one month before the session was set to end. And just as quickly as it came to light, it ultimately failed.

The Fleeting Sports Betting Bill

Third times a charm was not the case for WY HB 0225 that would have brought legal mobile sports betting to Wyoming. The bill’s presence in the House was fleeting, despite it enduring three separate readings.

The legal age to wager within the proposal was set at 18 which received opposition. The legal age to purchase cigarettes in Wyoming has been changed to 21.

While some said that the age of 18 was old enough to fight for your country and it should be old enough to gamble on sporting matchups others believed 21 was the proper age to engage in the pastime.

The tax rate was set at 16% on all revenue which could have led to potential profits in the million-dollar range if lawmakers had chosen to move the bill forward. The application fee was set at $20,000 with a renewal fee of $10,000 annually.

The number of licenses that could be given out was not specified which meant internet sports betting platforms may have seen endless options to choose from in Wyoming.

The Final Say

While daily fantasy sports, greyhound and horse racing wagers are legal in the state, the idea of legal sports betting didn’t sit right with the people that were the deciding factor on the bill’s failure.

Many believed that mobile sports betting platforms were too dangerous to the good people of the Cowboy State and the idea itself was not what “Wyoming” stood for.

On February 25, the bill passed by the Committee on the Whole to be given a second reading. The second reading took place on February 26 where it again passed to be heard a third and final time. Originally, it was slated to take the floor February 27 but instead was heard on Friday. After a reading of the details of WY HB0225, a vote was taken.

The final vote resulted in 27 AYES, 32 NAYS and 1 Excused. With that, WY HB 0225 failed to pass. The Cowboy State is simply not ready to take on the sports betting market, even though they have many sports betting residents.

While 2020 is not the year for sports betting enthusiasts living in Wyoming, there is always next session.

Until then, residents’ only options are offshore online sportsbooks and neighboring states with legal sports betting lounges for Wyomingites to continue to gamble on all the sporting events they want.

News tags: WY HB0225 | Wyoming