Wyoming lawmakers are revisiting the state’s approach to sweepstakes casinos this week as members of the Select Committee on Gaming meet in Rock Springs to review two competing legislative drafts.
The committee’s October 5-6 meeting discussed whether Wyoming should prohibit online sweepstakes casinos and similar gaming models or establish a legal framework to regulate and authorize them. While no vote had been reported at the time of the meeting, the discussion could help shape gambling legislation heading into Wyoming’s 2027 legislative session.
The gaming committee has scheduled a hearing on online casinos and sweepstakes gaming as part of its interim work. According to the meeting agenda, lawmakers will consider two separate draft proposals that take significantly different approaches to the issue.
One proposal, identified as “Online casinos and sweepstakes prohibited,” would expand Wyoming’s professional gambling laws to cover online casino-style games and sweepstakes platforms. Under that proposal, sweepstakes casinos would effectively be prohibited within the state.
A competing draft, titled “Online sweepstakes authorized,” would move in the opposite direction. Rather than banning the sector, it would create a legal pathway for sweepstakes gaming operators to continue serving Wyoming residents under a regulated framework.
The committee is expected to review the merits and drawbacks of both options before deciding whether either proposal should advance further in the legislative process.
A presentation from Wyoming Gaming Commission Executive Director Nick Larramendy is also part of the agenda. Lawmakers are expected to receive information about how sweepstakes gaming operates and how the different proposals could affect the state’s gaming landscape.
Public comment opportunities have been included in the committee’s review process, allowing stakeholders and residents to weigh in on the competing proposals.
The discussion comes as lawmakers in multiple states continue examining the legal status of sweepstakes casinos. These platforms typically use virtual currencies and promotional sweepstakes structures rather than traditional real-money wagering models, creating ongoing debates over how they should be classified and regulated.
This week’s hearing does not immediately change the legal status of sweepstakes casinos in Wyoming. Residents can still access sweepstakes platforms, and no new restrictions or regulations take effect as a result of the committee meeting alone.
The meeting is notable because an earlier effort to advance a ban proposal stalled during committee discussions in August. The addition of a regulatory alternative gives lawmakers another option to consider as they evaluate the industry’s future in the state.
If committee members choose to sponsor either draft, the proposal could move forward for consideration during Wyoming’s 2027 legislative session. However, any legislation would still need to complete the standard legislative process before becoming law.
For now, the committee’s review represents another step in Wyoming’s ongoing debate over whether sweepstakes casinos should be prohibited, regulated, or left unchanged. The outcome of the discussions could provide an early indication of how state lawmakers intend to approach the issue when the next legislative session begins.
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