Legal sports betting is now live in the state of Wyoming, and this state wasted little time in getting this industry up and running. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed a sports betting bill into law on April 6, and the Wyoming Gaming Commission got right to work.
Charles Moore is the Executive Director of the WGC, and he initially doubted that the state would be able to launch sports betting on September 1. Lawmakers made it clear that this was the date that they were targeting, and ultimately that date was met.
The Wyoming Gaming Commission held a meeting on Wednesday to officially approve sports betting licenses, and it didn’t take long for those sites to go live. DraftKings was the first company to go live, and it did so almost immediately after the meeting ended.
With the launch in Wyoming, this is now the 13th state to have a DraftKings Sportsbook in operation. This is one of the biggest names in the US sports betting industry, and it is always on the lookout for new markets.
BetMGM was the second online sportsbook to open up in Wyoming, and it did so just a few hours after DraftKings. This is now the 14th state in which BetMGM is live, and this company has seen massive growth over the last 12 months.
Wyoming is the second state in the US to launch an online-only sports betting industry after Tennessee did so in November 2020. This is a state that has a limited gaming industry, but sports betting is expected to become a popular industry.
The path to sports betting actually got off to a poor start in the state of Wyoming as the House of Representatives initially voted against a sports betting bill. Just one day later, Representatives held another vote, and this time the measure passed.
Both professional and collegiate sporting events will be offered by sportsbooks in Wyoming, and this should allow the state to get off to a good start. The September 1 launch was planned in an effort to get the industry up and running before the start of college and professional football.
Other Sportsbooks Coming
The sports betting laws in Wyoming should make for an extremely competitive industry, as there are specific requirements included in the language. The Wyoming Gaming Commission has not yet been flooded with applications, but those should start rolling in soon.
According to the law, the WGC is required to approve at least five online sportsbooks if there is enough interest. Both Barstool and FanDuel have already expressed interest in receiving a license, but it could take some time before that occurs.
The next time that the WGC is scheduled to meet is on November 5, but a special meeting can be called at any time. PointsBet is another company that has mentioned launching in the state of Wyoming, and all of the above operators are not going to want to miss out on football betting.
