Wyoming gambling committee has much work ahead of it
What started in 2013 as an attempt to save thoroughbred horse racing in Wyoming generated nearly $245 million last year in total revenue.
Gambling in all its legal forms — pari-mutuel racing, historic horse racing (HHR), skill-based amusement games, charitable gambling and online sports wagering — has grown exponentially as each new format has come online. Over the past decade, users of HHR machines alone have provided more than $91 million for cities and counties, and annual revenue increased 1,764% from 2014 to 2024, according to the Wyoming Gaming Commission.
All of this is good financial news for local governments, of course. It’s also good for those who engage in live horse racing in the state, which is due to expand from 54 to 70 days this year with the addition of Cowboy Racing LLC’s new Thunder Plains facility east of Cheyenne this fall.
And it no doubt has some positive economic benefits for some local businesses, too. At least some of the thousands of Colorado residents coming across the southern border to partake in gambling at the new Horse Palace at Swan Ranch are spending money on meals, fuel and other items in the capital city.
But it also comes with costs — both social and economic. Problem gambling and addiction is just as real and harmful to individuals and families as addiction to alcohol and drugs, and it’s a drag on social services and government assistance programs, as well. The presence of gambling operations arguably affects the character of neighborhoods, and the potential consideration and growth of other businesses or community amenities.
The question on everyone’s mind at this point seems to be “How much bigger is this going to get?” No one has a reliable crystal ball, but in the short term — at least here in Laramie County — the answer seems to be “at least some.” That’s because there are new HHR facilities already approved that haven’t yet come online inside Cheyenne city limits, and at least one more is scheduled to be built at the Wyoming-Colorado border, even as the existing facility there prepares for expansion.
Once those are up and running, that may be about it, if the analysis contained in a Wyoming Gaming Expansion Study prepared last year by Spectrum Gaming Group for the WGC is correct. If the study has it right, the market is pretty close to saturated for those who live in Laramie County, with the main growth potential coming from Colorado residents making the trip north.
But even if the push for more gambling locations tapers off, there are still issues to address. That’s why we were glad to see state legislative leaders create a new Select Committee on Gaming, consisting of three senators and three representatives.
Committee members told a Wyoming Tribune Eagle reporter this week they look forward to learning more about gambling in the state. A few already have priority issues, including co-Chairman Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, who also serves as a legislative liaison on the Gaming Commission. For him, the top two issues are promoting local control over gambling licenses and unifying revenue streams from the gambling industry.
We agree with the former, which was proposed, but not passed, during this year’s legislative session, because it would give the Cheyenne City Council some control over where gambling facilities are located inside city limits. The latter doesn’t seem as urgent.
WGC Executive Director Nicholas Larramendy told the WTE Editorial Board this week that he’d like to see the committee — and the Legislature as a whole — clarify and combine several state statutes to make them easier to find and understand, as well as increase local control and add some sideboards to certain aspects of the industry, which he has overseen for the past seven years. For example, can “bonafide social relationship” be defined in statute to help facilitate consistent enforcement of existing laws against professional gambling across all 23 counties?
He also threw his support behind a suggestion from WTE Editorial Board member Bob Wilson to tie receipt of certain government benefits to the existing self-exclusion program. That way, those who count on state assistance to cover their basic cost of living wouldn’t be able to squander their limited income on gambling. (Another possibility Mr. Wilson offered was prohibiting those who owe back child support or restitution from gambling, as well.)
We also agree with select committee member Rep. Steve Johnson, R-Cheyenne, that it’s important to determine whether enough resources are being provided to the Wyoming Department of Health to address gambling addiction. Currently, the first $300,000 worth of annual income from online sports wagering is provided to the agency for this purpose. Is that enough, or is more needed?
All of this and more is worth consideration, and, since 2026 is a budget session, it’s unlikely all of it will be accomplished in one year.
Ultimately, though, lawmakers will need to answer the larger questions: Do the benefits of existing levels of gambling outweigh the costs? Are they OK with using gambling as a way to pull money from our neighbors and those to the south? And, if so, do they want to open the floodgates even more by allowing Class III gambling, which includes virtually all games of chance?
We look forward to observing, and being part of, the discussion.
(Breakout boxes follow)
To offer your input
Members of the Wyoming Legislature’s new Select Committee on Gaming are:
Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, 307-389-0449, John.Kolb@wyoleg.gov (co-chair)
Sen. Barry Crago, R-Buffalo, 307-267-9789, Barry.Crago@wyoleg.gov
Sen. Troy McKeown, R-Gillette, 307-670-3581, Troy.McKeown@wyoleg.gov
Rep. Jayme Lien, R-Casper, 307-267-5675, Jayme.Lien@wyoleg.gov (co-chair)
Rep. Steve Johnson, R-Cheyenne, 307-640-0707, Steve.Johnson@wyoleg.gov
Rep. Joe Webb, R-Lyman, 307-747-3282, Joe.Webb@wyoleg.gov
Gambling addiction resources
To reach the 24-hour confidential national helpline:
Call: 1-800-GAMBLER
Chat online: 1800gamblerchat.org
Text: 800GAM
There’s also a Wyoming GAM-ANON Hotline available by calling 718-352-1671.
More resources, including early warning signs for all stages of life, are available through the Wyoming Council on Problem Gambling at wyomingcpg.org.
Those who want to limit their ability to gamble can sign up for the self-exclusion program at gaming.wyo.gov/resources/RG-Landing/self-exclusion.