Wyoming Gaming Regulation Is Due for a Big Shake-Up

Wyoming’s gaming landscape is heading for significant change. The state’s Select Committee on Gaming convened last week for interim discussions, and the agenda covered nearly every corner of Wyoming gaming regulation — from illegal online gambling to a beloved charity game that is now technically against the law. Several draft bills are already in the works, with more expected before the committee meets again in July.

A $2.49 Billion Handle and What It Actually Means

The Wyoming Gaming Commission’s executive director, Nick Larramendy, opened proceedings with a look at the state’s historic horse racing numbers. The HHR handle reached $2.49 billion in 2025. That is a substantial figure, but Larramendy was careful to distinguish handle from revenue. The state tax sits at 1.9% of handle, and operators cleared a gross profit of $180 million across the year. The numbers paint a picture of a growing sector, and one that lawmakers are watching closely.

Race Relocation Draws Pushback From Lawmakers

One of the sharper debates of the meeting centered on Wyoming Downs and 307 Horse Racing. The tracks relocated several races from Gillette to Evanston, and the decision did not land well with all lawmakers. Kyle Ridgeway, the president of the tracks, made the case that Evanston pulls a large crowd from neighboring Utah. Attendance goes up, the racing atmosphere improves, and the business case is clear. But some committee members saw it differently. They argued that moving races out of Gillette means abandoning a commitment to horse racing in northern Wyoming. Ridgeway pushed back firmly, stressing his team’s contributions to the wider economy and their intent to operate within the rules, not around sentiment.

The Queen of Hearts Problem

Few topics at the meeting carried as much human weight as the Queen of Hearts game. This charitable raffle-style game has been a fundraising staple for community organizations across the state, but it runs into a specific legal problem. In a standard raffle, someone wins at every drawing. In Queen of Hearts, a winner is not guaranteed each time — and that distinction puts it outside what Wyoming law permits.

Bryan Grzegorczyk, who owns Alf’s Pub in Cheyenne and founded the Thankful Thursdays fundraiser, made a personal appeal to the committee. His organization raised $4.5 million for charitable causes using the game. He asked lawmakers to find a path to legalization. Lawmakers acknowledged the community value but were clear that the game, as currently structured, cannot coexist with existing law. They agreed to explore possible modifications that might bring it into compliance, though no solution was reached at the meeting.

Raffle Loopholes and a Fix on the Way

The Queen of Hearts discussion also opened up a broader conversation about how raffle proceeds get reported. Under current rules, organizations can classify most of their raffle income as operational costs. In practice, that means very little money reaches the charities these events are supposed to support. The committee approved the creation of a bill that would require at least 50% of raffle proceeds to go directly to charity. It is a straightforward fix, and it closes a gap that has likely been costing charities real money for some time.

Wyoming Gaming Regulation Targets Illegal iGaming

The committee’s most significant regulatory proposal concerns the online gambling space. Members expressed concern about the growing presence of illegal iGaming platforms and sweepstakes casinos operating in Wyoming. A particular worry is that many players do not know these sites fall outside the law. The committee plans to draft a bill that would explicitly prohibit iGaming in the state, putting clear legal boundaries around what is and is not permitted. This puts Wyoming gaming regulation on a path that several other US states have already taken, as the sweepstakes model continues to draw scrutiny nationwide.

More Proposals Still on the Table

The meeting produced several additional proposals that will carry into future discussions. One would establish a fixed floor for the percentage of HHR revenue that must fund live racing, protecting the traditional side of the sport as machine-based wagering grows. Another would direct $300,000 from online betting revenue toward problem gambling treatment programs. A third and more structural proposal floated the idea of replacing the Wyoming Gaming Commission entirely with a new professional gaming commission. Nothing is finalized on any of these fronts, but all are expected to feature in the committee’s July meeting.

What Comes Next

Wyoming is not making small adjustments. The volume and variety of proposals discussed at this meeting suggest a legislature that is taking a hard look at how its gaming rules fit a rapidly evolving industry. Some changes, like the raffle bill, are near-complete. Others, like the potential WGC restructuring, are much earlier in the process. The committee reconvenes in July, and by then, several of these draft bills should be taking clearer shape.