Wyoming Sports Betting
Wyoming sports betting launched in 2021, and there are four sportsbook apps available in the state. DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel and Caesars are all live and offering odds boosts, sign-up bonuses and loyalty programs.
Best online sportsbooks in Wyoming 2023
Is sports betting legal in Wyoming?
Yes, sports betting is legal and active in Wyoming. The market launched Sept. 1, 2021, and four sports betting sites are available in the state. Legislators passed a bill to create legal WY sports betting in 2021 and Gov. Mark Gordon signed it into law.
What’s happening in Wyoming sports betting right now
- June 6, 2023 — Wyoming sports betting handle hit $12.6 million in April, down about $2 million from March. Revenue was down about 30% to $1.26 million.
- May 10, 2023 — Wyoming sports betting handle bounced back in March up to $14.7 million, the highest so far in 2023. Revenue ($1.8 million) was also a high for the year and the highest total since October 2022.
- April 20, 2023 — Wyoming sports betting hit $11.5 million in handle in February, the lowest total in the state since August 2022. Revenue was also down to about $1.1 million.
- March 30, 2023 — DraftKings launched its horse racing app, DK Horse, in Wyoming ahead of the Kentucky Derby on May 6. The app launched in 12 states initially with more to follow.
- February 6, 2023 — Wyoming saw more strong betting handle and revenue numbers in December with $15 million in handle and $1.8 million in revenue. Both totals were the third highest all-time for the state.
- January 3, 2023 — Wyoming bettors placed $16.7 million in wagers during November, according to the Wyoming Gaming Commission. The state’s sportsbooks generated $1.5 million in revenue, while the state collected a little more than $100,000 in taxes.
- December 5, 2022 — Wyoming Gaming Commission reported a record month for October 2022. The Wyoming sportsbooks took more than $17.2 million in wagers, more than the previous record of $13.97 million in January 2022.
Online sports betting sites in Wyoming
The Wyoming sports betting market features well-known operators. Wyoming sportsbooks are entirely mobile, except for any tribal casinos that offer the amenity on-site. The total number of sites could rise to six with PointsBet and Barstool approved for licenses in the state, though there could be more at some point. Here are the top online sports betting sites in Wyoming offering the best sportsbook promotions:
DraftKings Sportsbook
Now in its 13th state, DraftKings Sportsbook Wyoming was the first app to go live in the state. The WGC granted the app approval on launch day. Wyoming is the third state this year to launch DraftKings, following launches in Virginia and Michigan in January. The DraftKings app itself is sleek, refined and easy to use. The betting pools feature helps make this app one of the best in class.
- App store rating: 4.8 (iOS), 4.7 (Android)
- Key takeaway: Best for live betting.
- Best feature: Betting pools
- WY bonus offer: $1,250
BetMGM Sportsbook
BetMGM’s arrival in Wyoming made it the 14th debut for the MGM Resorts online brand. The BetMGM Wyoming app, a collaboration between Entain and MGM, got approval for launch the same day as DraftKings. BetMGM is known for its fantastic menu of available sports to bet on, but the app can take some getting used to as isn’t the most intuitive product.
- App store rating: 4.8 (iOS), 4.6 (Android)
- Key takeaway: Deep selection of available markets.
- Best feature: Edit My Bet
- WY bonus offer: $1,000
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel’s arrival was anticipated for months after being approved in November 2021. The app is already a hot commodity in the US and in neighboring Colorado. It is best known for its navigation, speed and betting features including the same game parlay. FanDuel is suitable for all bettors as the easy-to-use app makes navigation smooth. The same game parlays feature makes it easy to build out multi-leg wagers.
- App store rating: 4.8 (iOS), 4.7 (Android)
- Key takeaway: Beginner-friendly app that delivers on most features.
- Best feature: Same game parlays
- WY bonus offer: Bet $5 Get $150
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars arrived in June 2022 and comes with years of experience. It is a well-known app in Colorado already and as such built a name for itself in Wyoming. The app is easy to use and navigate, but the website itself is somewhat clunky. You can also access Caesars Rewards, which offers tier points and prizes at casinos.
Wyoming sports betting law
The law passed to create legal sports betting in Wyoming creates an industry-friendly market that likely will invite competition from the biggest names in the US industry. State law requires that regulators hand out at least five WY sports betting licenses. However, there is no established cap, leaving open the possibility of more.
Operators will pay $100,000 for an initial five-year license and a $50,000 renewal fee when due. Sports betting revenue in Wyoming will be taxed at 10% on gross proceeds. The first $300,000 annually is targeted to gambling addiction treatment.
The state features mobile sports wagering through multiple operators because there are no commercial casinos in the state. There are four tribal casinos operated by two Native American tribes. Since those tribes can offer Class III gaming, they also would receive the right to offer sports betting at their casinos.
WY sports betting bills
2021: HB 133 created the Wyoming sports betting market.
2020: Legislators attempted to move two bills related to gaming in Wyoming but neither advanced beyond the committee stage:
How does Wyoming compare to Colorado sports betting?
Wyoming’s neighbor to the south launched one of the more robust sports betting markets in the country in 2020. Colorado sports betting features a high rate of mobile sportsbook usage and a regulatory structure that encourages broad participation.
Colorado law allows for nearly three dozen legal sportsbooks. Wyoming law requires that at least five sports betting licenses are issued, but does not set a cap on how many can be given out.
The CO sports betting market launched into the coronavirus pandemic when the sports calendar sat empty. Even with that challenge, Colorado sportsbooks took $2.3 billion in wagers in the state’s first year. Wyoming likely will not generate nearly that amount of handle with the nation’s smallest population.
Colorado’s market features both major industry players and smaller regional sportsbooks. State casinos are allowed to partner with sportsbooks to offer mobile sports betting anywhere within the Centennial State.
Most popular sports to bet on in Wyoming
Wyoming is a beautiful state known for its outdoor activities, but it’s seriously lacking when it comes to sports entertainment.
It’s likely football would be the most popular sport, given it is in most states in the US. But it’s hard to nail down a favorite team that could get the support of locals.
There are no professional teams in Wyoming. And, outside of the four major sports teams in Colorado (the MLB‘s Colorado Rockies, the NBA‘s Denver Nuggets, the NHL‘s Colorado Avalanche and the NFL‘s Denver Broncos) only one of its other five border states has a professional team (the NBA’s Utah Jazz).
The University of Wyoming does have Division I sports programs in the Mountain West Conference.
Wyoming and Daily Fantasy Sports
Wyoming is one of the many states in the US that does not outlaw daily fantasy sports, but there’s no law regulating the contests, either.
That means the biggest fantasy sports operators like DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo can offer contest and tournament entries to players within Wyoming’s borders.
Is horse racing legal in Wyoming?
Yes, horse racing is legal in Wyoming. There are three tracks that offer live racing:
- Energy Downs in Gillette, operated by Wyoming Horse Racing
- Sweetwater Events in Rock Springs, operated by Wyoming Horse Racing
- Wyoming Downs Racetrack in Evanston, operated by Wyoming Downs
In addition, betting on horse racing is also legal in Wyoming.
There are 12 off-track betting facilities throughout the state. Wyoming Downs operates seven of those facilities while Wyoming Horse Racing operates five.
Another option for betting on horse racing is through advance deposit wagering operators. These let bettors place horse racing bets on their desktop or mobile devices.
Some of the biggest ADW operators, including BetAmerica, TVG and Twinspires, all operate in Wyoming.
Historic horse racing machines, which look like slot machines but actually pay out based on previously-run horse races, are also legal in the state.
WY sports betting timeline
2022: FanDuel is the first app to launch since September 2021, making its debut in Wyoming on March 10. Caesars launched in June, while PointsBet and Barstool were approved in July but have yet to launch.
2021: Rep. Tom Walters made another push for legal sports betting with HB 133. Initially, the House voted the bill down, but reconsidered it a day later and passed it. The legislation became one of the surprises of the 2021 legislative session. It passed the Senate easily before heading to Gov. Mark Gordon, who signed it into law in April. The Wyoming Gaming Commission worked quickly to adopt rules for a September 2021 launch.
2020: Rep. Tom Walters and Sen. Ogden Driskill sponsored H 225, which would have legalized sports betting on mobile devices and online, to the House in mid-February. It was killed on the House floor by a 27-32 vote just 16 days later. The bill would have legalized an unlimited number of sports betting licenses at a $20,000 initial cost and a $10,000 annual renewal fee. Sports betting revenue would have been taxed at 16%.
Walters told Legal Sports Report he wasn’t sure how the vote would turn out as there were some voters on the fence of whether to vote for or against the bill. Five of those voters, he said, eventually voted no.
The appetite for expanded gambling wasn’t there this year, but the close vote suggests another effort could turn out differently in 2021, as it ultimately did.
Wyoming sports betting FAQ
Where can I bet on sports?
There are four legal mobile apps for sports betting in Wyoming: DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars and BetMGM. Two more apps, PointsBet and Barstool, are approved for licenses and could launch in the coming months.
Can I bet on sports on my phone?
You can bet legally on sports from your phone. Today, there are a couple of legal options to place bets on a phone from Wyoming.
There are illegal offshore sports betting operators that will say they can accept bets on their websites or apps from people anywhere in the United States, including Wyoming.
That’s just not true. It’s illegal for these sportsbooks, called offshore operators because they are not licensed in the US, to accept bets from anywhere in the United States.
Anyone betting with these websites or apps will also have no consumer protection to help them should an issue arise. This means that if the sportsbook operator chooses not to pay out a bet or closes the sportsbook without returning customer funds, there’s no legal recourse for any bettor involved to get their money.
Can I use Colorado sportsbook apps in Wyoming?
No, Colorado sports betting apps will not work in Wyoming. Each state that offers mobile sports betting requires geolocation technology to verify the bettor is located within the state at the time of the wager. This is to satisfy federal regulation by the Wire Act.
You will be able to have an account in both Colorado and Wyoming if you want, however. You might need to download a different app to wager in either state.