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Wyoming Rep. Robert Davis told PlayUSA that he would refile online casino legislation for 2025 after a Spectrum Gaming Group study painted a favorable picture of the impact iGaming could have on the state.
The Spectrum Gaming study, released this week, noted that legalizing iGaming could bring significant revenue to the state without cannibalizing existing gaming.
The iGaming portion sounds good. It doesn’t support any cannibalization and it looks to be relatively easily implemented based on the things the state of Wyoming currently has going for it.
Wyoming Rep. Robert Davis, in an interview with PlayUSA
In September, Davis told PlayUSA he would wait for the study before deciding whether to file a Wyoming online casino bill for 2025. Encouraged by the study data, he is working on a bill to file in early December.
“I plan on going ahead and introducing it,” Davis said. “Hopefully, we can get action on both sides of the chamber and get it going. What the appetite will be, I’m not sure.”
Spectrum Gaming study details on Wyoming online casino
Spectrum Gaming presented their study Friday to the Wyoming Gaming Commission.
The study projected Wyoming online casino revenues of $93 million to $138 million in year one, growing to $162 million to $199 million by year five. That would produce state tax revenues of $20 to $30 million in year one, reaching up to $40 million in year five.
The study also advised that results in other states show iGaming is “accretive rather than cannibalistic to the casino and distributive gaming sectors.”
Wyoming’s current gaming market consists of online sports betting, three tribal casinos, charitable gaming, three racetracks with 39 historical horse racing facilities, and skill-based amusement games at bars, truck stops and smoke shops.
Steve May of GLI told commissioners that the iGaming system isn’t much different than what Wyoming regulates today in online sports betting.
If this is put on your plate, you’ll be ahead of the game because you’ve been regulating online sports betting for a while now. If you do get iGaming, I think it will fall right in line with sports betting.
Jeff Ifrah, co-founder of the iDevelopment and Economic Association (iDEA) told PlayUSA that the study shows why Wyoming should legalize online casino, giving residents a regulated option with consumer protections.
“The recently released Spectrum gaming study is just the latest to find that iGaming doesn’t steal revenue from land-based gaming but complements it. In addition, legal, regulated iGaming creates consumer protections and more tax dollars for the state – neither of which exists in Wyoming’s current unregulated iGaming market. The highly pervasive illegal sites that Wyoming’s residents are already accessing pose significant risks to players and offer no tax revenue to the state. Now is the time for Wyoming to embrace the future, protect its residents and reap the rewards.”
Tribal Appointee questions iGaming’s impact on tribal casinos
At the Wyoming Gaming Commission meeting, Commissioner Jenni Wildcat questioned Spectrum Gaming’s assertion that iGaming would not have a direct impact on tribal gaming.
Matt Roob from Spectrum Gaming responded that they used Michigan online casinos for the comparison.
“Michigan, as you know, has commercial and tribal casinos and the tribal casinos operate iGaming as well. And we have not seen a decline in Michigan retail or bricks and mortar gaming going to casinos as the iGaming has expanded. Now, we’ve seen growth almost come to a halt but we haven’t seen it reversed. We haven’t seen people substituting casinos trips for sitting in their living room playing on their phone.”
Wildcat, who is a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, said her tribe did an internal study of its own and found differently.
“I know the Northern Ara tribe has done a study,” Wildcat said. “It shows a huge impact from iGaming on our brick-and-mortar properties in the negative.”
In Wyoming, tribes have brick-and-mortar sports betting but do not participate in online. Sports wagering apps that do operate in the state geofence out tribal lands.
“The tribes are going to be a critical component, there’s no doubt about that,” Davis said. “I believe brick-and-mortar and online gaming cater to two different types of people.”
If Wyoming tribes want to have online casino, Davis said he’s open to having those discussions.
“I don’t really have an opinion on that,” Davis said. “There’s a lot of conversations to be had on the logistics of how this could be rolled out. Do they even want to participate?”
Wyoming legislative session set for online casino discussion
In even years, Wyoming has a short legislative session concentrating on the budget. Bills need a two-thirds floor vote to go from filing to introduction.
In 2025, Wyoming has a normal session, meaning Davis’ bill should have no trouble getting a committee assignment. The Wyoming legislative session begins Jan. 14 and runs to March 6.
Wyoming originally filed online sports betting legislation in a short session and passed it the next year. Online casino proponents hope to follow a similar path, but Davis warns that the iGaming bill still has a long way to go.
“There will be an educational component,” Davis said. “Sports wagering has a lot more exposure than iGaming. Everyone is talking about sports wagering, ‘Did you see the game, did you get in on the action?’”
Davis said he will file a bill very similar to what he filed this year, then look to make changes during the committee process.
“If I can get it introduced to the floor and assigned to a committee, we’ll get a lot of comments and that’s when things can get modified and amended,” Davis said. “First we’ll get it out there, get it known and get the discussion started.”
Davis thinks the Spectrum Gaming study will help get his colleagues to give the Wyoming online discussion a chance in 2025.
“There’s always a need for additional revenue,” Davis said. “The study should help support the bill, give it some scientific factors behind it. Instead of just saying this is what we think, now we have the study saying this could occur.”
