Wyoming Lawmaker Confirms Online Casino Bill Coming in 2025

The US online gambling industry hopes to grow in 2025, and Wyoming appears to be the place to do it.

State Representative Robert Davis has shared that he will introduce a bill to legalize online casinos. The bill had been filed previously but put on hold while a study by Spectrum Gaming Group assessed the market. The results were positive and have led Davis to believe the bill will pass in 2025.

The Spectrum Study's results project that online casinos will generate up to $138 million in revenue in the first year and up to $199 million in revenue in year five. That would generate $20-30 million in tax revenue for the first year and up to $40 million by year five. The tax revenue from the Cowboy State’s sports betting market would combine to give the state a massive influx of cash.

Along with revenue projections, the study also showed that the industry would have little impact on the state’s retail casinos. However, the tribes that run those casinos have expressed doubts, requesting a more detailed explanation of Spectrum’s conclusion. These tribes represent the most significant opposition to legalizing the industry, and it doesn’t seem this report will change that.

Can Sports Betting Provide a Road Map?

Several lawmakers who support online gambling have cited the state's sports betting market as a reason. While it is a different industry, many of the same dangers and features are the same. Wyoming’s years of experience operating a legal sports betting market can give them a road map for building a market for online casinos.

Opponents of the upcoming bill believe the state’s sports betting market is far from perfect. The Wyoming Gaming Commission recently had to clamp down on harassment of college athletes, an issue that has plagued markets across the US. While that isn’t an issue with online casinos, it does show the desperate acts that come from mounting gambling losses.