Is Sports Betting Legal In Wyoming?

When they made films and wrote books about the Wild West featuring someone like John Wayne or Steve McQueen riding out among the rocky, mountainous landscape, it's a good chance they were picturing Wyoming. Even though the United States is thought of and one of the world's most developed nations, much of it remains wild and untamed, like Wyoming. This can get some thinking that people from Wyoming are too distant and remote to care about any sports, but a quick visit to any University of Wyoming Cowboys game can clearly show you otherwise. Wyoming fans are as passionate as any fan base out there, and it should then come as not surprise that many Wyoming residents have questions about sports betting.

The first thing on just about anyone's mind before they start wagering and sports is whether or not it's legal to do so. Legality can help out not just with the confidence to proceed safely, but offer the assurance that there will be legitimate businesses competing for the right to offer you service. Happily, we can report that sports betting in Wyoming is legal. In April of 2021, Governor Mark Gordon signed off on WY HB 0133 which officially legalized online sportsbooks regulated by the state of Wyoming. To add to that, tribes within the state have announced that they will launch sportsbooks inside of their casinos too. If that wasn’t enough options, WY residents can also legally use online sportsbooks that are regulated overseas.

Land-Based Sports Betting in Wyoming:

Now that we've crossed that bridge, we've arrived right at another raging river. Even if it's legal for a Wyoming resident to place a bet, what good does that do if no one around can take it? Thankfully, some of the tribes have taken matters into their own hands and are planning on launching land-based sports betting in Wyoming soon. The Northern Arapaho Tribe was one of them and announced that they won’t wait for the state to make its laws and instead launch sports betting at Wind River Hotel & Casino and two other casinos of theirs. But, these venues haven’t started accepting bets quite yet.

Aside from waiting for them to open or taking a trip outside the state, the only option seemingly open to Wyoming residents is seeking out an illegally run, underground sports book. Even though you cannot be legally prosecuted for merely wagering with an illegal sports betting ring, this is a radically unsafe course of action. Even setting aside the personal risk you take by simply seeking out one of these illegal circles, you obviously put whatever hard earned money you invest into such an operation at great risk. Due to the illegal nature of these betting rings, your money and any winnings you're entitled to are just as likely to disappear completely as they are to make their way to you. For this and many other reasons, and illegal sports betting ring is not recommended.

Legal Online Sports Betting in Wyoming:

As mentioned before, legal state-regulated online sports betting in Wyoming came by way of WY HB 0133 passing through the state legislature. This bill only applied to online sportsbooks. But, these types of online sports betting sites have yet to launch in Wyoming. For now, and in the future, WY residents have access to offshore sports betting sites. By being stationed overseas, these legal online sportsbooks for Wyoming residents are able to work around the laws and jurisdictions that place restrictions on land based sports betting in Wyoming.

This knowledge coupled with what we already went over in regards to the legal status on placing wagers on sports in Wyoming and you have a completely legal avenue down which to start up your sports betting hobby. It's completely normal to have some hesitation about investing your money with a foreign, internet based company, but rest assured that these are, in fact legitimate businesses backed not only years of service and customer testimony, but in many cases by endorsement from major news companies. These reputations are not earned easily or overnight, but by years of steady service to clients. They are certainly not earned by operating fast and loose with the money their customers invest.