Two sportsbooks could launch the Wyoming sports betting market Wednesday.
The Wyoming Gaming Commission will hold a special meeting Wednesday afternoon to consider DraftKings and BetMGM (and associated vendors) for WY sports betting licenses.
If the commission approves the sportsbooks, the plan is to allow them to launch in the afternoon, said David Carpenter, sports wagering project manager for the WGC.
WGC staff recommends full approval of both applications, according to the agenda.
The WGC pushed to get sports betting off the ground on Sept. 1 since Gov. Mark Gordon signed HB 133 into law in April. A launch Wednesday would allow Wyoming bettors access to NFL betting prior to the Sept. 9 season opener.
Wyoming sports betting applications
Rules for sports betting in Wyoming were approved Aug. 2, but the WGC opened the license application process July 15.
There is a $100,000 initial five-year license fee with a $50,000 renewal fee. The state will tax sports betting revenue at 10%.
DraftKings and BetMGM are the only applications up for consideration at this meeting. The next WGC meeting is scheduled for Nov. 5.
Who else might join?
If there are enough qualified applicants, the commission will allocate a minimum of five licenses. During stakeholder meetings, the commission received letters of intent from at least four sportsbooks:
- DraftKings
- BetMGM
- FanDuel
- Barstool Sportsbook
SuperBook USA and Golden Entertainment also took part in stakeholder meetings. PointsBet executives highlighted the untethered state as a potential expansion market in a May investor presentation.
Mobile-only wagering market
Wyoming joins Tennessee as the only permanent mobile-only markets in US sports betting. Along with Tennessee, the WGC based its rules on a variety of other states, including:
During the legislative process, WGC Executive Director Charles Moore expressed some hesitance about the expedited timeline, but eventually accepted the September launch goal. With a set of rules heavily based on other jurisdictions, Carpenter said the process moved along quickly.
