Wyoming Legislature Passes Statewide Mobile Sports Betting

• The Wyoming Legislature has passed legislation to regulate mobile sports betting in the state.
• Wyoming will see a regulated mobile sportsbook market go live by September 1 pending the signature of Governor Mark Gordon.
• This makes it the second state in the U.S. with a strictly online sports wagering industry as Tennessee was the first.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – On Monday, the Wyoming Senate passed House Bill 0133 to regulate mobile sportsbooks in the state.

During its third reading within the Senate, WY HB 0133 received a final vote of 24-5-1, seeing the majority of lawmakers in favor of passage. The bill will now move to the desk of Governor Mark Gordon before it can be enacted as law.

What House Bill 0133 Brings To Wyoming

House Bill 0133 opens Wyoming up to a regulated mobile and internet-only sports wagering industry. The market will allow sports bettors to join platforms and gamble on sporting events who are 18 and older.

This will be the first industry in the nation that will mirror international online sportsbooks in the structure for which they will conduct business. Cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and others will be acceptable forms of payment with operations in Wyoming. Collegiate and professional sports will be included for betting excluding any events where players are under 18 or prop bets of any player under 18.

At least five sports betting platforms will need to be seen to launch the sports betting industry in Wyoming. Taxes on all revenue from the market are set at 10% and will go straight into the Wyoming General Fund. There is no set cap on how many operators will be able to open up for business in the state but the minimum is five with at least three of those having a proven history of successful operations in the country.

All interested parties that want to enter Wyoming’s sports betting market will have to pay an application fee of $100,000 for a five-year license. After that, $50,000 will need to be paid every five years as a renewal fee of the license. The Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC) believe they will see over $449 million in annual revenue through a seasoned industry.

Now What?

In a little over a month’s time, Wyoming has now passed a regulated online sports betting bill through their legislature. They are the second state in the nation to have a purely online and mobile industry with Tennessee being the first.

House Bill 0133 was first introduced in the House on February 24, failed in its third reading in the House on March 10, was reconsidered later that day which rarely happens and passed. The Senate was introduced to the legislation on March 17 where it passed in its third reading twelve days later.

Governor Mark Gordon will need to sign the bill before it becomes an official law, but it’s currently in the process of getting to his desk. Once the Governor signs, a mobile and online sports betting market in Wyoming will launch by September 1, just in time for all of the sports betting Wyomingites to begin wagering on the 2021 NFL season.

News tags: Bitcoin | House Bill 0133 | Mark Gordon | NFL | Wyoming | Wyoming Gaming Commission | Wyoming General Fund