Efforts to legalise sports betting in Wyoming have come to an abrupt stop.
The Wyoming House of Representatives has voted against a piece of legislation that would have legalised online and mobile sports betting in the state.
The proposed bill, HB 0225, was introduced last month and received a vote of 32-27 against it in the House.
Now that the bill as been voted against it will be withdrawn from the legislative process in the state of Wyoming. As the state’s legislative session comes to a close on March 6, it is unlikely that sports wagering will be legalised in the state of Wyoming this year.
What was covered in the bill?
The bill, which was supported by Representative Tom Walters and Senator Ogden Driskill, would have legalised online and mobile betting. The legislation would have allowed for the opening of a regulated sports betting market no later than January 1, 2021.
According to the bill’s measures, operators hoping to serve the state would have been required to pay an initial $20,000 for a licence. These licences would be valid for a 12-month period, after which licensees would have been required to pay a renewal fee of $10,000.
The bill proposed a 16% tax rate on monthly online sports betting revenue and the activity would have been restricted to residents under the age of 18. Under the bill, operators would have been able to offer single game bets, teasers, parlays, moneyline bets, over-unders, in-play betting, exchange betting, pools, prop bets and straight wagers.
Gambling in Wyoming
At the time of writing, there are only a handful of legal gambling options available to residents in the state of Wyoming.
The state currently permits online betting on horse racing and greyhound racing as well as fantasy sports contests. Bingo is also an authorised activity in the state and In 2013, the state also approved the creation of a state lottery.
