Local authorities in Wyoming reviewing autonomy over High-speed Gaming Terminals
The Wyoming Select Committee on Gaming, chaired by Senator John Kolb from Rock Springs, has commenced its work in Casper, with a focus on evaluating potential new forms of legalized gambling in the state. The committee's primary areas of interest include commercial casinos, historical horse racing, and off-track betting (OTB).
The committee's role is to study the feasibility, regulatory framework, and economic impacts of these gambling options to guide future legislative decisions. The committee's work could potentially affect the operation of both commercial casinos and OTB in Wyoming.
Wyoming has set specific requirements for passing gambling-related bills in the upcoming legislative session. Any bill related to gambling, including proposals for commercial casinos or expanded betting options like historical horse racing and OTB, must pass by a two-thirds majority in the legislature to move forward. This supermajority requirement reflects the state's cautious approach to expanding gambling.
The committee is also involved in discussions about tax structures, with recent proposals suggesting a possible increase in the state's share of gambling revenue, such as doubling the sports betting tax rate.
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle has reported on the focus of the Wyoming Select Committee on Gaming. The committee is currently preparing a bill for the next legislative session, which begins in early February.
It is worth noting that the committee has not been successful legislatively with gambling in the past, according to Senator Kolb. The committee's work will be crucial in determining whether Wyoming will see an expansion of legalized gambling in the near future.
[1] Source: Casper Star-Tribune, "Wyoming gaming committee to focus on local control, historical horse racing," 18 January 2023. [2] Source: Casper Star-Tribune, "Wyoming gaming committee to prepare bill for 2023 legislative session," 30 January 2023. [3] Source: Casper Star-Tribune, "Wyoming gaming committee discusses tax structures, potential increases," 8 February 2023.
Discussion about sports-betting has surfaced during the Wyoming Select Committee on Gaming's examination of new forms of legalized gambling, with proposals for potential tax structure changes, such as increasing the sports-betting tax rate. The committee is preparing a bill that might include sports-betting options in the forthcoming legislative session, given the state's specific requirements for gambling-related bills.
