Wyoming Online Poker

Wyoming could become one of the next states with real money online poker in the US.

That’s because lawmakers in the Equality State recently introduced a bill to legalize online poker and casino gaming. Although the bill ultimately didn’t pass, there’s a good chance that similar legislation will be introduced in 2025.

The fact that a bill was submitted in 2024 caught everyone by surprise — industry watchers did not have Wyoming on their “short list” of states that could try to legalize either online poker or casino gaming. The more popular picks were Illinois, Maryland, and New York.

But Wyoming is now on that list. And as an added bonus, lawmakers had the clairvoyance to include language in the 2024 bill that would allow the state to join a multi-state gaming compact. That would be the best way for the state, which ranks last in terms of population, to support online poker — it could join the multi-state igaming agreement and let poker sites connect with existing US networks upon launch.

Watch this space for updates on Wyoming online poker!

Does Wyoming Have Online Poker?

Not yet, but online poker could become available in Wyoming. A bill that was introduced during the 2024 legislative session called for the state to issue at least five licenses for online casino gaming.

The bill didn’t pass, but another is likely to be introduced in 2025. If any new bill is worded like the 2024 version, Wyoming would also be clear to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), a multi-state gaming compact that supports online poker and some casino games. The compact’s other members are Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia.

Wyoming Gambling: What’s Legal Today

Wyoming has historically been opposed to gambling, limited to some forms of horse and dog racing, charitable gaming, bingo and sweepstakes raffles. There’s two federally recognized tribes which operate full casinos, and a couple of card clubs dealing poker.

However, in recent years, things have started to open up. Sweepstakes poker and “social” casinos are considered legal in WY. Mobile sports betting went live in 2021.

Three years later, lawmakers considered a more permissive bill that would legalize and regulate online casino and multi-state online poker.

HB 120 Called for Adding Online Poker and Casino

Rep. Bob Davis (R-Baggs) introduced HB 120 in February 2024. It called for the state to issue at least five licenses for online casino gaming and poker, and to levy a 10% tax rate — the same as for sports betting.

Under HB 120, operators would pay $100,000 for a license, which would be good for five years. Renewals would cost $50,000 and would extend the license for an additional five years. Operators could offer live dealer games and the studio would not have to be located in Wyoming.

The bill also called for the WGC to promulgate rules for online poker and casino gaming by the end of 2024, with the markets launching on January 1, 2025.

HB 120 ultimately did not receive enough votes to advance to the House floor, meaning it had a “failed introduction.” The bill needed 42 votes to move on to the next stage in the process, but only received 25.

Still, there is room for optimism. Lawmakers introduced a bill in 2020 to legalize mobile sports betting, but it didn’t pass the House. The next year, a similar bill passed and was signed into law by the governor. Efforts to legalize online poker and casino gaming could follow the same path.

It’s also important to note that lawmakers had just 20 days to consider HB 120, because the legislature only meets for 20 days during even-numbered years. Bills also need a two-thirds majority to pass in even-numbered years. Lawmakers meet for 40-day sessions in odd-numbered years.

Multi-State Online Poker in WY

The failed bill gave the state express permission to join a multi-state gaming compact to support online poker. That’s important because Wyoming is a small state, population-wise.

The most likely compact that Wyoming would join is the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), which currently includes five states — Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia.

Under MSIGA, operators can combine their player pools across multiple states. That creates shared liquidity, which in turn supports larger tournaments and bigger prizes.

Membership in a gaming compact like MSIGA is considered essential for online poker to succeed in a new market. That is especially true for Wyoming, which ranks 50th in terms of population with only about 584,000 residents.

Operators would likely skip launching in Wyoming altogether if it weren’t in MSIGA. Their online poker rooms would have few players and generate little excitement without membership in the gaming compact.

Poker Sites Likely to Launch in Wyoming

Membership in MSIGA would make Wyoming an intriguing option for operators.

With about 584,000 residents, Wyoming would be the smallest member of MSIGA by far. It’s a little more than half the size of Delaware, which has a population of 1 million. West Virginia is the next-largest member state with 1.8 million people, followed by Nevada (3.2 million), New Jersey (9.3 million), and Michigan (10 million).

BetMGM, PokerStars, and WSOP are the three most popular online poker operators in the US. Chicago-based Rush Street Interactive (RSI) is working on a fourth online poker platform, Run It Once Poker.

Since there are no land-based casinos to partner with, operators would be requesting a standalone license from the WGC. In its current form, the bill that calls for legalizing online poker would authorize the issuance of at least five licenses — which means there should be plenty of licenses for everyone. Consider that Wyoming already has six operators licensed for sports betting.

BetMGM and Caesars are currently active in the Equality State with sports betting. Since both are already familiar with the state’s regulator and its players, it seems likely that they would apply to the WGC for a license to offer online poker and casino, too. FanDuel doesn’t have a poker platform, but the brand is owned by Flutter, which also owns PokerStars. Caesars owns WSOP.

PokerStars WY

PokerStars could enter the market by applying for a license with the Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC), but it may not have to. The regulator could decide to issue a license to Flutter, which owns the PokerStars brand.

Flutter owns the FanDuel brand, too. Under a scenario where both brands could share a license, Flutter would launch FanDuel Casino for online casino alongside PokerStars for online poker. FanDuel is already live in Wyoming with mobile sports betting, which means it has player data to share with its sister brand. The data goes back to March 2022.

PokerStars US has been building a robust online poker network. Wyoming is the smallest market in the US, but PokerStars hasn’t shied away from small markets — it expressed an interest in launching online poker in West Virginia after that state joined MSIGA.

BetMGM Poker WY

BetMGM is also likely to offer online poker in Wyoming, considering it is already live in the state with mobile sports betting. It has player data going back to the very beginning, when mobile sports betting launched in September 2021.

The operator has some work to do to put together an online poker network across the US. It first needs to combine its player pools in Michigan and New Jersey. BetMGM has long been rumored close to launching online poker in Nevada, and has floated the idea of launching in West Virginia, too. Should all of that come to pass, Wyoming could become part of a five-state BetMGM Poker US network.

WSOP WY

WSOP is another operator that has access to player data. That’s because Caesars Sportsbook has been in-state since August 2022. Caesars also owns WSOP.

WSOP US currently includes combined player pools in Nevada and New Jersey. The operator is also live in Michigan, but it hasn’t combined its player pool there with the other two MSIGA states. Wyoming would be the fourth state of a four-state network.

If Wyoming joins MSIGA, WSOP will be a popular platform with Wyomingites. That’s because it will give players the opportunity to participate in events from the World Series of Poker, to play in real WSOP events, and to win highly-prized WSOP Gold Bracelets and Online Circuit Gold Rings.

Run It Once Poker Wyoming

Run It Once is an online poker platform being developed by Rush Street Interactive (RSI). The Chicago-based operator has said that it expects to launch Run It Once in the US sometime in early 2024.

Wyomingites are not familiar with RSI’s flagship brand, BetRivers. That’s because RSI has, to date, passed on launching mobile sports betting in the Equality State.

RSI could cobble together a five-state network for Run It Once by combining its Wyoming player pool with those it also runs in Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, and West Virginia.

A History of Gambling in Wyoming

Wyoming’s gambling history is relatively short.

Although gambling was common during the frontier days of the 1800s, it was completely outlawed with passage of the McGill Act of 1901. Efforts to legalize gambling in the 1930s and 1950s did not gain traction.

Parimutuel wagering on live racing (horse and dog) was authorized in 1967, the same year the state created the Wyoming Pari-Mutuel Commission. Simulcast wagering was added in 1991 and expanded to allow out-of-state simulcasting facilities in 2011.

Historical horse racing (HHR) terminals, aka instant racing, operated in the state from 2003 to 2005, but prosecutors claimed the machines constituted illegal gambling. The Wyoming Supreme Court agreed, and in 2006 upheld a lower court ruling to that effect in the case Fraternal Order of Eagles Sheridan v. State of Wyoming. Lawmakers passed a bill in 2013 that made the HHR terminals compliant with state law.

2013: State Lottery and VGTs and Charitable Gaming

A state lottery, branded as WyoLotto, launched in 2013 with oversight by the Wyoming Lottery Corporation.

In December 2018, then-Wyoming Attorney General (AG) Peter Michael issued a formal opinion that certain video gaming terminals (VGTs) were illegal under state law. The AG said his opinion does not address the legality of HHR terminals, off-track betting (OTB) facilities, or tribal gaming operations.

Lawmakers reconstituted the Wyoming Pari-Mutuel Commission as the Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC) in 2020. They also authorized skill-based amusement games, aka VGTs, at bars and other places of business.

Charitable gaming, including bingo games, pull-tab games, and Calcutta wagering (a form of auction-style betting), were also permitted starting on July 1, 2020. Social and sweepstakes casinos are also legal in Wyoming.

Mobile Sports Betting

That brings us to mobile sports betting, which went live in September 2021. BetMGM Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook launched with the market kickoff, while FanDuel Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook launched in 2022 — in March and August, respectively. Sportsbooks are taxed at 10%.

Two other sportsbooks, ESPN Bet and Fanatics, have yet to launch. The former acquired market access from Barstool Sportsbook while the latter did the same from PointsBet. Fanatics’ website currently displays “coming soon” for Wyoming, while ESPN Bet is also not yet live.

There are three tribal casinos in the state, but only one offers sports betting. The Wind River Hotel & Casino in Riverton has its own branded retail sportsbook, Buffalo Sportsbook.

WGC listed 45 OTB facilities and 366 establishments with VGTs on its website as of January 2024. There are no commercial land-based casinos, riverboat casinos, or racinos in Wyoming.

Tribal Gaming and Casinos

Wyoming is home to two federally recognized tribes — the Northern Arapaho Tribe and the Eastern Shoshone Tribe. Both tribes have gaming compacts with the State of Wyoming.

According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), under their respective compacts, the Northern Arapaho may operate up to five casinos in the state, while the Eastern Shoshone may run four casinos.

The Northern Arapaho currently own and operate two facilities, Little Wind Casino and Wind River Hotel & Casino, while the Eastern Shoshone have the Shoshone Rose Casino & Hotel. A third casino of the Northern Arapaho, 789 Casino, is currently closed.

Wind River is the only tribal casino to offer sports betting. It has a retail sportsbook branded as Buffalo Sportsbook.

It’s unclear if the tribes would apply for an online casino license.

ONLINE POKER IN WYOMING FAQ

Is online poker legal in Wyoming?

No, but it could be legal in the future. Lawmakers introduced a bill to legalize online poker and casino gaming in 2024, but it failed. Another bill could be introduced in the 2025 session.

Is online casino gaming legal in Wyoming?

Nope. Like online poker, online casinos aren’t legal in Wyoming. But they could be in the future. A recent (but failed) bill would have allowed at least five operators to launch, but there could have been more.

Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Wyoming?

Yes, they are! Sweepstakes and social casinos — such as High 5 Casino, Stake.us Casino, Funrize Social Casino, No Limit Coins Social Casino, and TaoFortune Social Casino — are a popular way to gamble, especially in states that don’t have regulated online gambling. Sweepstakes casinos are perfectly legal and safe to play in Wyoming. Check out our in-depth review of sweepstakes casinos!

Can I legally play online poker in WY?

Not at the moment. Legislation that was considered in 2024 had launching online poker as early as January 1, 2025. Operators would have first needed to win licensure from the Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC).

Can I play PokerStars in Wyoming?

PokerStars is a popular poker brand, but it is not available in WY. Although Wyoming ranks dead last among the US states in terms of population, PokerStars would likely still want to launch there. It also has many potential customer referrals from its sister brand FanDuel, which is live in Wyoming with mobile sports betting.

Can I play WSOP in Wyoming?

WSOP is not currently available in Wyoming, but it also has access to valuable player data through Caesars Sportsbook. Caesars also owns WSOP. Players would likely be drawn to the operator because of it gives players access to events tied to the World Series of Poker.

Can I play BetMGM Poker in Wyoming?

Wyomingites do not currently have access to BetMGM Poker, but they could soon. BetMGM Sportsbook is already active in the state, so it will have direct access to its own trove of player data.

Does Wyoming have online gambling?

Yes, Wyoming has mobile sports betting. There are six sportsbooks licensed in the state, but only four are live. Online poker and online casino gaming are illegal.

Can I play offshore online poker sites instead?

Offshore poker sites do not offer the same consumer protection level as legal, regulated sites, so they are not recommended. Players on offshore sites are at risk of identity theft when they disclose their financial and personal information. Federal officials have warned US citizens not to use offshore sites because they have no legal recourse to collect winnings owed to them.

Information on the dangers of US citizens gambling on illegal offshore sites and how to tell if a poker site is legal is available in this guide on Poker Shield.