2025 25LSO-0062
STATE OF WYOMING Working Draft
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DRAFT ONLY
NOT APPROVED FOR
INTRODUCTION
HOUSE BILL NO.
Gaming-amendments.
Sponsored by: HDraft Committee
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to gaming; conforming the minimum age for
2 specified gaming activities to twenty-one; clarifying
3 restrictions on the operation of skill based amusement
4 games; amending definitions; and providing for an effective
5 date.
6
7 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
8
9 ***********************************************************
10 *******************
11 STAFF COMMENT
12 Very few defined terms are duplicated or used
13 inconsistently throughout the gaming statutes. Accordingly,
14 rather than conforming terms, this bill differentiates two
15 terms that appear likely to be confused: "operator" and
16 "vendor" in the context of skills based amusement games and
17 online sports wagering.
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2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0062
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1
2 For reference, other terms defined in statute for pari-
3 mutuel wagering are:
4
5 "breeder award," "drug," "event," "pari-mutuel event,"
6 "pari-mutuel wagering," "simulcasting," "multiple
7 wagering," "exotic wagering," "advance deposit pari-
8 mutuel wager," "horsemen's association," "out-of-state
9 simulcast facility," "source market fee," and "net
10 proceeds".
11
12 Terms defined in statute for skills based amusement games
13 are:
14
15 "establishment," "operator," "skill," "skill based
16 amusement game," "vendor," "truck stop," and "smoke
17 shop".
18
19 Terms defined in statute for online sports wagering are:
20
21 "cash equivalent," "fantasy sports contest," "online
22 sports wagering," "online sports wagering revenue,"
23 "patron," "prohibited sports wager," "qualified gaming
24 entity," "sporting event," "sports wagering," "sports
25 wagering account," "sports wagering vendor,"
26 "critical component," and "key personnel".
27
28 Terms defined in criminal statute for gambling are:
29
30 "calcutta wagering," "gain," "gambling," "gambling
31 device," "gambling premise," "gambling proceed,"
32 "gambling record," "professional gambling," "profit,"
33 "antique gambling device," "charitable or nonprofit
34 organization," and "skill based amusement game".
35
36 These defined terms are unique in the context they are used
37 and do not lend themselves to uniform definition. The
38 working group may wish to solicit identification of
39 specific issues from stakeholders for conformance.
40 ***********************************************************
41 *******************
42
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2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0062
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1 Section 1. W.S. 9-24-105, 11-25-102(a)(xvii) through
2 (xxii), 11-25-104(k), 11-25-201(k)(v) and (vi),
3 11-25-205(c), 11-25-301(b), 11-25-302, 11-25-303(c) through
4 (e), 11-25-304(a)(i) and (ii), (b) and (d) and
5 11-25-305(a)(intro) and (c)(intro) are amended to read:
6
7 9-24-105. Age to engage in online sports wagering.
8
9 No person under the age of eighteen (18) twenty-one (21)
10 years shall engage in online sports wagering.
11
12 ***********************************************************
13 *******************
14 STAFF COMMENT
15 This bill draft raises the minimum age for online sports
16 wagering and pari-mutuel wagering (horse racing, historic
17 horse racing, simulcasting, advance deposit wagering) to
18 21. Skills-based amusement games are already limited to
19 persons 21 and older.
20
21 Note that the draft does not change the minimum age for
22 charitable bingo and pull tabs (18 by statute), the Wyoming
23 Lottery (18 by statute) or specify an age for Calcutta
24 wagering and other exempted gambling (e.g., societal
25 gaming, raffles, fantasy sports contests).
26 ***********************************************************
27 *******************
28
29 11-25-102. Definitions.
30
31 (a) As used in this act:
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2 (xvii) "Establishment operator" means a person
3 who possesses and operates an establishment where skill
4 based amusement games may be played for profit;
5
6 (xx) "Vendor Game supplier" means a person who
7 owns and distributes a skill based amusement game to an
8 establishment operator for profit;
9
10 (xxii) "Smoke shop" means a retailer as defined
11 in W.S. 14-3-301(a)(iii) that business that derives fifty
12 percent (50%) or more of its gross annual revenue from
13 nicotine products as defined by W.S. 14-3-301(a)(vi) and
14 that contains a humidor on the premises of the business.
15 "Smoke shop" shall not include a business that sells only
16 the following product categories: electronic cigarettes,
17 edible products, vapor material or tetrahydrocannabinol.
18 The definitions in W.S. 14-3-301(a) shall apply to this
19 paragraph.
20
21 11-25-104. Gaming commission; officers; director;
22 meetings; quorum; records; licenses generally; effect of
23 financial interest in events.
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1
2 (k) The commission shall access criminal history
3 record information for all establishment operators and
4 vendors game suppliers under article 3 of this chapter and
5 all licensees, permittees and employees of the commission
6 under W.S. 9-1-627(d) for the purposes of this act. Every
7 applicant for a permit or license under this act shall
8 provide the commission fingerprints and other information
9 necessary for a criminal history record background check as
10 provided under W.S. 7-19-201.
11
12 11-25-201. Pari-mutuel permits; fees and reports;
13 disposition of funds; enforcement of provisions.
14
15 (k) The commission may authorize advance deposit
16 pari-mutuel wagering at any premise where a pari-mutuel
17 event is authorized, provided that the licensee shall:
18
19 (v) Not allow minors persons under the age of
20 twenty-one (21) to open, own or have access to advance
21 deposit pari-mutuel wagering accounts;
22
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1 (vi) Include a statement in all forms of
2 advertising for advance deposit pari-mutuel wagering
3 accounts that "minors persons under the age of twenty-one
4 (21) are not allowed to open or have access to advance
5 deposit pari-mutuel wagering accounts."
6
7 11-25-205. Bribery, touting and betting by minors
8 prohibited.
9
10 (c) No person under the age of eighteen (18) twenty-
11 one (21) years shall place or be allowed to place a bet.
12
13 11-25-301. Skill based amusement games authorization;
14 commission authority; applicability.
15
16 (b) A skill based amusement game that meets the
17 requirements of this article shall be approved by the
18 commission to operate in the state or it shall be removed
19 from the state by the vendor game supplier.
20
21 11-25-302. Laboratory report required.
22
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1 (a) Each vendor game supplier shall provide for a
2 nationally recognized, independent gaming laboratory
3 approved by the commission to submit to the commission a
4 general functional evaluation laboratory report regarding
5 the software installed on each skill based amusement game
6 indicating whether the skill based amusement game is in
7 compliance with this article. Any skill based amusement
8 game that does not meet the requirements of this article
9 shall immediately be removed from the state by the vendor
10 game supplier.
11
12 (b) Any alterations, modifications or updates to the
13 software or hardware of any skill based amusement game
14 shall require the vendor game supplier to submit to the
15 commission a new laboratory report as required under
16 subsection (a) of this section before the game may be used
17 for play at an establishment.
18
19 11-25-303. Restrictions on operation of skill based
20 amusement games.
21
22 (c) No establishment shall have more than four (4)
23 skill based amusement games operating for play at any one
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1 (1) time on the premises of the address of the
2 establishment. An establishment operator shall not operate
3 multiple establishments at any physical location for
4 purposes of avoiding the restrictions of this subsection.
5
6 (d) Skill based amusement games shall only be located
7 for play at an establishment, except as provided in
8 subsection (e) of this section. An establishment operator
9 shall not locate a skill based amusement game in an area of
10 the establishment into which a person under the age of
11 twenty-one (21) years may enter. An establishment operator
12 shall conspicuously mark each area of the establishment
13 containing a skill based amusement game as an age
14 restricted area. The establishment operator shall not allow
15 a person under the age of twenty-one (21) years to play a
16 skill based amusement game.
17
18 (e) Any establishment operator who, before September
19 14, 2022 had a skill based amusement game located at a
20 place of business that does not meet the definition of
21 "establishment" in W.S. 11-25-102(a)(xvi) on April 1, 2023
22 shall be authorized to continue operating skill based
23 amusement games if the establishment operator otherwise
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1 meets the requirements to operate a skill based amusement
2 game.
3
4 11-25-304. Required permits and licenses; applicable
5 fees; tax imposition; taxation rate; distribution.
6
7 (a) Any person seeking to obtain or renew any
8 license, permit or decal as required under this section
9 shall submit an application to the commission on a form
10 prescribed by the commission. Upon approval of an
11 application by the commission:
12
13 (i) An establishment operator shall be issued a
14 permit and required to pay an annual fee of two hundred
15 fifty dollars ($250.00) to have skill based amusement games
16 operating for play in the operator's establishment;
17
18 (ii) A vendor game supplier shall be issued a
19 license and required to pay an annual fee of two thousand
20 five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) to possess and distribute
21 skill based amusement games.
22
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1 (b) Skill based amusement games that meet the
2 requirements of this article shall bear a commission issued
3 decal that identifies the vendor game supplier of the game.
4 Each decal shall be valid for one (1) year. No skill based
5 amusement game shall be operational unless it bears a
6 current commission issued decal. The commission shall
7 charge the vendor game supplier a fee of fifty dollars
8 ($50.00) for a decal. Each decal shall include the bucking
9 horse and rider emblem.
10
11 (d) Taxes shall be calculated and paid on a weekly
12 basis based on the net proceeds earned during the prior
13 week on skill based amusement games. On a weekly basis, the
14 vendor game supplier shall remit to the commission an
15 amount equivalent to twenty percent (20%) of the net
16 proceeds earned during the prior week on the vendor's game
17 supplier's skill based amusement games. The taxes imposed
18 under this subsection may be prepaid as provided by rule of
19 the commission. The commission shall remit these monies to
20 the state treasurer for deposit in the commission gaming
21 account and for distribution of the tax as follows:
22
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1 11-25-305. Establishment operator permit, game
2 supplier license and skill based amusement game decal
3 approval; criteria; review.
4
5 (a) The commission shall, not more than sixty (60)
6 days after the date of receipt of an application or
7 application for renewal for an establishment operator
8 permit, vendor game supplier license or skill based
9 amusement game decal under W.S. 11-25-304 either:
10
11 (c) Establishment operators shall have a continuing
12 duty to disclose in writing any material change in the
13 information provided in the application to the commission,
14 including:
15
16 Section 2. This act is effective July 1, 2025.
17
18 (END)
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Statutes affected: 25LSO-0062 v0.5: 9-24-105, 11-25-102, 11-25-104, 11-25-201, 11-25-205, 11-25-301, 11-25-302, 11-25-303, 11-25-304, 11-25-305