Come tomorrow, the sports betting picture in Wyoming should be a lot clearer.
Charlie Moore, executive director of the Wyoming Gaming Commission, told stakeholders at the tail-end of their nearly five-hour-long meeting Friday that July 15 was the key date when things would become clear.
“We plan on having it on the website by the 15th,” Moore said. By “it” he means licensing applications and information, testing certification, as well as process details and geofencing criteria and an integrity monitoring system, among others.
While calling the plan “aggressive,” he said it is progressing well.
Who Are The Key Players In Wyoming Sports Betting
Wyoming is set to become the second state, behind Tennessee, to have mobile-only sports betting when it launches later this year.
Lawmakers in the state approved online sports betting earlier this year. Since then the state has grappled with setting up the framework for sportsbooks. Moore said the 45-day public comment period ends on July 31.
Moore said the commission has already heard formally from the major sportsbooks, including FanDuel, Barstool, and BetMGM, among others, expressing interest in operating in the state.
What Sports Betting In Wyoming Will Look Like
The biggest difference between existing states that allow sports betting and Wyoming is the age. Wyoming will have the youngest age to date, at 18. Most other states that have legalized sports betting have set the legal age as 21.
Sportsbooks operating in the state will have to up and running in at least three other states to gain approval in the Cowboy State.
When the law was passed advocates said they hoped to have sports betting up and running by the start of the NFL season. The Denver Broncos, which have a large fan base in Wyoming, have their season opener on Sept. 12. It’s unclear if the sportsbook would be open by kickoff, but proponents are optimistic it will be online in the fall.