The governor of Wyoming, Mark Gordon, officially signed House Bill 0133 on April 5, thus legalizing online sports betting in this state. Wyoming Gaming Commission will directly oversee and regulate the new sports-betting industry going forward.
The bill, first proposed back in March, makes Wyoming one of the first U.S. states to legalize online sports betting in 2021. It also makes Wyoming unique among betting-friendly states in America, having an exclusively online and mobile betting infrastructure, with no brick-and-mortar betting joints whatsoever.
The practice may be new to America, but it has been used by large online operators such as 888sport on the international market for years. Thanks to the new regulation, the state of Wyoming will be able to benefit from its sports-betting population directly.
At least five sports-betting operators will be licensed to operate in Wyoming. They will need to pay $100,000 upfront for a five-year license, as well as a $50,000 renewal fee after the initial license expires. On the other hand, vendors will be charged $10,000 for the five-year permit and $5,000 for renewal.
Additionally, there will be a 10% tax rate on all gross gaming revenue accumulated from sports-betting platforms in Wyoming, and potential sportsbook operators will have to be active in three other states before applying for a license.
No launch date has been set yet, but the aim is to have everything up and running by September 1, in time to prepare sports operators for the NFL 2021 season. If not then, Wyoming residents should expect officially licensed and regulated sports betting operators in their state by 2022 at the latest.
