After folding early in the 2025 session, Wyoming’s push to legalize online casino gambling might be shuffling back into play for 2026.
House Bill 0162, also known as the Interactive Gaming bill, aimed to bring online casino-style games, think slots, blackjack, and poker, into the same legal fold as mobile sports betting. The proposal generated interest from lawmakers and industry observers but ultimately died in committee before reaching the House floor.
💸 What Was on the Table For WY Online Casinos?
Here’s what the 2025 version of the bill proposed:
- Up to 5 licensed operators (many likely already holding WY sports betting licenses).
- 16% tax on monthly gross gaming revenue, mirroring the state’s sports wagering structure.
- $100,000 operator license fee (5-year term) + $50,000 renewal.
- Revenue distribution:
- First $300K: Wyoming Department of Health (for problem gambling programs)
- 50% to the School Foundation Fund
- 40% to counties (by population)
- 10% to the Gaming Commission for enforcement/admin
Operators would have been required to use geolocation and age verification to ensure players are 21+ and physically located in Wyoming.
📉 Why It Failed
While no single issue sank the bill, a combination of legislative fatigue (following 2021’s sports betting legalization), uncertainty around social impacts, and concerns over gambling expansion likely contributed to its early demise. But several co-sponsors, including Rep. Bob Davis (HD-47), have indicated interest in bringing it back.
You’d have to be nuts to think the millions being raked in from HHR machines wouldn’t take a major hit if everyone suddenly had a real slot machine in their pocket.
📈 What’s at Stake?
According to third-party analysts, Wyoming could generate up to $30–40 million annually in new tax revenue from online casinos by year three. Money that could be earmarked for education, county needs, and public health.
Compare that to the state’s total sports betting revenue, which pulled in just $361K+ for Q1 2025. Online casino gaming would represent a massive leap in market size.
Additionally, many illegal or offshore online casino options are available to players within Wyoming. Every cent of that money is lost, never to be returned to the state coffers.
What’s Next?
The bill’s original sponsors, Reps. Brown, Larson, Tarver, and Sens. Barlow, Pappas, and Schuler could revive the measure for the 2026 budget session. And with continued budget pressure and increased interest from national gaming operators, Wyoming lawmakers may be more receptive this time around.
Want to Get Involved?
If you support or oppose this type of legislation, it’s worth reaching out to your representatives—especially if you live in House District 47. That’s Rep. Bob Davis’s district, and he was one of the early champions of the bill. Your voice could help shape what’s on the table in 2026.
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💡 AntlersArch.com will continue to follow any developments surrounding HB0162 or its future reincarnation. If and when it comes back to life, we’ll be watching the pot.
AntlersArch founder and the voice behind Teton Tattle.
