Gambling In Wyoming
Wind River Hotel & Casino is the premier Wyoming casino, the largest in the state with the biggest collection of Vegas style games. Join us for a great night out. Indian bingo is played in these Wyoming casinos: Shoeshone Rose Casino & Hotel (info) East Shoshone Tribe - Wind River Reservation. 5690 US Hwy 287 - PO Box 399. Lander, WY 82520. We can not recommend casinos owned by the Northern Arapaho. Wyoming has never been a state in favor of gambling and only recently started legalizing casino gambling and the lottery. Online gambling is strictly prohibited in WY, which isn't expected to change any time soon. We take a closer look at gambling in Wyoming in our guide below. Online Casinos in Wyoming.
There are only a few Wyoming casinos, seeing as it has the lowest population of any state. The Wyoming casino and gambling industry lagged behind the rest of the country as there was little interest by residents. Most state’s that border Wyoming offers a wide range of gambling.
The population of Wyoming is concentrated along its state lines, leaving little demand for gaming options within its borders. That has changed slightly in recent years. There are several forms of legal Wyoming gambling. These include a state lottery, horse racing, off-track betting, and Tribal Wyoming casinos.
Wyoming Casinos & Gambling | |
---|---|
Wyoming Legal Gambling Age | 18 |
Number of Casinos | 3 |
Estimated Casino Revenue | $20 Million |
Smoking ban | No ban |
Can You Gamble Online in Wyoming? | Yes |
Wyoming Online Gambling | Horse Racing |
Wyoming Casinos Map & Guide
- Little Wind Casino
- Shoshone River Casino
- Wind River Casino
- 3
- 2
- 3
Types of Legal Wyoming Online Gambling
The only form of legal online Wyoming gambling is off-track betting. Wagers may be placed on horse races through sites and mobile apps offered by TVG, TwinSpires, and BetAmerica.
Daily fantasy sports sites appear to be legal in Wyoming. The state legislature and attorney general have avoided the issue. Daily fantasy sites assert that they fall under Wyoming’s skill gaming laws. DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo!, and CBS Sports are among the companies that accept action from Wyoming players.
There are more than 100online casino gambling sites with poker and sports betting sites that accept Wyoming players. None of these companies are licensed to operate in the state.
Types of Live Wyoming Gambling
There are four types of live gambling permitted in Wyoming. This includes a state lottery, bingo, horse racing, and reservation casinos. Wyoming voters approved a state lottery in 2013. Interstate lotto drawings are the only form of tickets available through the Wyoming Lottery. It is one of just two states that do not allow instant games. North Dakota is the other. The state constitution does not permit any other games or a video lottery.
Horse racing is offered at Wyoming Downs. This includes live races and off-track betting. Taverns may also be licensed to accept bets on simulcast races.
Charities may offer bingo. The games are also permitted on reservations.
Types of Legal Gambling in Wyoming | |
---|---|
Game Type | Is it Legal? |
Slots | Yes |
Blackjack | Yes |
Poker | Yes |
Craps/Roulette | No |
Horse Racing | Yes |
Lottery | Yes |
Sports Betting | No |
There are three tribal Wyoming casinos operating in the state. All are near the Utah and Idaho borders. Wyoming casinos may offer video poker, slot machines, live poker tables, and table games that require skill. Games of luck, including craps and roulette, are not permitted at Wyoming tribal casinos.
Wyoming’s social gambling laws permit live poker as long as the house does not take a rake. Many taverns throughout the state offer cash games and tournaments. These generate a draw that increases alcohol and food sales, but not gaming revenue.
Wyoming Gambling Laws
The Wyoming gambling laws are strict, despite it being a liberal state. Wyoming casinos are only permitted on tribal land. Even then, table games that are pure luck are forbidden. Slot machines, video poker, and games using cards that involve at least some level of skill are permitted at reservation casinos. This includes live poker rooms.
Historical racing machines were legalized in 2013. These games are essentially slot machines that use past horse races to determine an outcome using slot symbols. The games were declared illegal by Wyoming Attorney General Peter Michael. The games included bonus rounds unrelated to the pertaining races. New games are under development in the hope to comply with the law.
The Wyoming Lottery does not offer as many games as those in most states. Scratch-off tickets, keno games for money, and online sales are all prohibited. This only leaves lotto drawings. These are networked with other states, lowering the overhead of operations. The Wyoming Lottery may only sell tickets to Cowboy Draw, a statewide lotto, Power Ball, and Mega Millions.
Bingo is permitted, but only by registered charities. Wyoming reservations may also offer bingo.
List of Wyoming Casinos
The only live racetrack in Wyoming is Wyoming Downs. It is located in Evanston, just east of the Utah border. There are eight off-track betting parlors located in taverns throughout the state.
There are currently only three Wyoming casinos, and all of them are operated by Tribes on their reservation land, as per the laws established. Below you will find the Wyoming casino locations and websites. Use our Wyoming casinos map and guide for more detailed information on how to get to these locations.
Casino | Size | Address | Website |
Little Wind Casino – Ethete | 179 Slot Machines | 685 WY-132 | www.windriverhotelcasino.com |
Shoshone Rose Casino – Lander | 330 Slot Machines | 5690 US Highway 287 | www.shoshonerose.com |
Wind River Casino – Riverton | 800 Slot Machines | 10269 WY-789 | www.windriverhotelcasino.com |
History of Wyoming Gambling
The first form of legalized gambling in Wyoming is racing. Wyoming Downs is the last remaining live track in the state. It ceased operations in 2010 but returned the next year.
The first Wyoming casino opened in 2009. Wind River Casino in Riverton was the first to go live. Two other Wyoming casinos related to the tribe opened in the 2010’s. Slots and video poker were the first forms of legalized casino-style games in Wyoming. This later expanded to blackjack and live poker.
The Wyoming Lottery was created on March 13, 2013. It did not require a statewide referendum. The first ticket was sold three and a half months later. WyoLotto does not sell scratch-off tickets. It is only permitted to sell lotto tickets.
Taverns in Wyoming determined that live poker was legal under the state’s skill gaming law in the 2010’s. These bars may not take a rake. Their profits are created through drink and food sales.
Wyoming Regulated Gambling | |
---|---|
Racing | 1984 |
Casinos | 2009 |
Lottery | 2013 |
Instant Racing | 2013 |
Wyoming Casinos & Gambling FAQ
Are there casinos in Wyoming?
Yes. Wind River Casino has three locations in Wyoming. All are located in the western part of the state.
The minimum Wyoming gambling age is 18 years. This includes players that gamble on the race tracks, bingo, and Tribal casinos.
Wind River Casino offers live poker. Taverns throughout the state also spread it.
Yes, but it only sells lotto tickets that include Powerball and Mega Millions.
Yes, but it is currently suspended as the bonus rounds were deemed illegal by the Wyoming attorney general.
Yes, but the only live track is Wyoming Downs in Evanston.
There are eight taverns that offer off-track betting. Wyoming Downs also has it.
The only form of legal online gambling in Wyoming is off-track betting.
DraftKings, FanDuel, and others appear to skill games under Wyoming law.
Introduction to Wyoming Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Wyoming slot machine casino gambling consists of four American Indian tribal casinos offering both Class II games-of-skill bingo machines and Class III games-of-chance slot machines.
Racetracks and their Off-Track-Betting (OTB) sites have Historic Horse Racing (HHR) gaming machines. Legal skill-based amusement machines exist at many retailers.
Wyoming have no theoretical payout limits. Annual return statistics for HHR gaming machines at racetracks and their OTB sites are publicly available.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
Keep Reading … or Watch Instead!
Or … Listen Instead!
Casino Gambling In Wyoming
Find my podcast wherever you listen to audio!
Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Wyoming*
The minimum legal gambling age in Wyoming depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 18
- Retailers with amusement machines: 21
- Poker Rooms: 18
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 21
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
In 2013, the state legislature allowed off-track betting facilities to offer Historical Horse Racing (HHR) games, returning pari-mutuel wagering to once again being a year-round activity. HHR machines have boosted gaming revenue for both the state and local economies.
In Wyoming, the maximum bet is $25. Skill-based amusement machines have a maximum bet of $3 and a maximum payout of $3,000 per play. Retailers can have up to four amusement machines.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Wyoming
It is legal to own a slot machine privately in Wyoming if it is 25 years old or older.
Gaming Control Board in Wyoming
Tribal-state gaming compacts provide gaming regulations for Class III games-of-chance slot machines at Wyoming’s tribal casinos. The IGRA federal law allows Wyoming’s tribal casinos to also offer Class II, games-of-skill, competition-style gaming machines.
Signed into law by the Governor on March 17, 2020, the Wyoming state legislature created the Wyoming Gaming Commission with House Bill 171 Enrolled Act 95. This commission replaces the Wyoming Pari-Mutuel Commission with additional gaming regulatory responsibilities.
The Gaming Commission regulates pari-mutuel events, HHR machines, bingo, pull tabs, calcutta, and skill-based amusement games. The Commission also enforces Wyoming’s gambling statutes.
Previously, Wyoming had over 400 illegal, non-tribal gaming machines at bars, gas stations, truck stops, and other small businesses. This new commission now requires these retailers to have a gaming license and applies income taxes for these amusement machines.
Wyoming also has a state lottery commission, the Wyoming Lottery.
Casinos in Wyoming
There are four American Indian tribal casinos in Wyoming. In addition, there are:
- 313 retailers with skill-based amusement gaming machines.
- Numerous bingo halls with Class II bingo-style gaming machines.
- 1025 HHR machines at pari-mutuel racetracks and OTB sites.
The largest casino in Wyoming is Wind River Hotel & Casino with 800 gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is Shoshone Rose Casino & Hotel with 400 gaming machines.
Commercial Casinos in Wyoming
Legal amusement gaming machines are now available at over 300 Operators and Establishments.
Tribal Casinos in Wyoming
The four tribal casinos in Wyoming are:
- Smoke Shop and Casino 789 in Riverton, 125 miles west of Casper.
- Little Wind Casino in Arapahoe, 140 miles west of Casper.
- Shoshone Rose Casino & Hotel in Lander, 140 miles west of Casper.
- Wind River Hotel & Casino in Riverton, 125 miles west of Casper.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Wyoming slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Wyoming is:
- North: Montana Slots
- East: Nebraska Slots and South Dakota Slots
- South: Colorado Slots and Utah Slots
- West: Idaho Slots and Utah Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Wyoming.
Our Wyoming Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Wyoming? If so, join our Wyoming slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Wyoming. Join us!
Payout Returns in Wyoming
Neither Wyoming nor its tribal-state gaming compacts have set theoretical payout limits for any form of gambling.
Further, there are no return statistics publicly available for gaming machines at tribal casinos or amusement machine retailers.
Casino Gambling In Wyoming
However, HHR machines at pari-mutuel racetracks and OTB sites have return statistics reported to the state.
For 2019, the player win% for HHR machines in Wyoming were:
Gambling In Laramie Wyoming
- Wyoming Horse Racing racetrack and its eight OTBs: 92.16%
- Wyoming Downs racetrack and its nine OTBs: 92.44%
- State-wide HHRs: 92.31%
Summary of Wyoming Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Wyoming slot machine casino gambling consists of four tribal casinos with Class III Vegas-style slot machines as well as Class II competition-style electronic games. More Class II bingo-style machines are available at Wyoming’s popular bingo halls.
Pari-mutuel facilities offer HHR machines. Further, Wyoming has updated its gaming regulations to include formerly illegal amusement machines at many retailers.
No theoretical payout limits exist in Wyoming. However, HHR machines have annual return statistics.
Annual Progress in Wyoming Slot Machine Casino Gambling
In the last year, Little Wind Casino has fallen from second largest casino to last place. Now, Shoshone Rose Casino & Hotel is the second largest casino.
Further, the state legislature created the Wyoming Gaming Commission from what was once the Wyoming Pari-Mutuel Commission, now with the added responsibility of regulation and enforcement of gaming laws at formerly illegal skill-based amusement machines at many retailers.
Related Articles from Professor Slots
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: Wisconsin Slot Machine Casino Gambling
- Next: Alabama Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Wyoming Casinos
Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC