Wyoming Legal Sports Betting is Live... One Week Early
The US legal sports betting industry is about to start cranking. The NFL season is ready to kick off and a handful of new betting states are about to come online. In a bit of a surprise, Wyoming was the first of nine rumored new coming jurisdictions to officially go live - and they did it one week earlier than projected.The Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC), after a special meeting on Wednesday paved the way for two of five prospective operators to go live in the state.
The Commission had targeted September 9 and the first day of action for the upcoming NFL season as the jumping-off point for its betting platform but immediately after the September 1 meeting, BetMGM and one of the two DFS monsters-turned sports betting provider giants started taking bets.
Just Two Providers for Now
The Wyoming Gaming Commission rules paved the way for a total of five sports betting operators to take bets in the state. It appears just two were ready, BetMGM and the DFS behemoth - they were licensed and permitted to go live right after the special meeting. It remains to be seen just when the other licenses will be awarded.
“We’re ecstatic that BetMGM is one of the first mobile sports betting platforms to launch in Wyoming, just in time for the start of the football season,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt via press release. “Wyoming is an important state for us as we continue to expand BetMGM’s footprint in the West. We’re confident that its sports fans will enjoy the BetMGM experience.”
The other provider was equally pleased with the access they gained into the new market. Wednesday's launch leaves three more providers that will be coming to the Wyoming scene. While an official announcement hasn't been made, the other DFS giant, Penn National Gaming/Barstool Sportsbook, PointsBet, and SuperBook Sports are the books rumored to be chasing one of the coveted 3 remaining licenses.
Small but Unique
The Wyoming legal sports betting market will be the smallest in the country but there are a few quirky perks that make their impending scene unique. The state has the smallest population of the now-22 jurisdictions that have their own legal sports betting platform. Betting providers will have to battle hard for their market share among the 600,000 residents. The lack of a professional sports franchise may also seem like a slight roadblock, although the fanbases for the state's college teams are typically rabid.
But what Wyoming lacks in population, it should be able to make up for with accessibility for their platform. Lawmakers are allowing those 18-years-old and upward to place legal bets in the state, rather than the customary 21. And cryptocurrency will be accepted at the state's sportsbooks - the first jurisdiction in the country to allow such deposits.
The Future of the Wyoming Scene
As the smallest jurisdiction in the US market, Wyoming's sports betting scene will certainly be an interesting one. They will be just one of two retail-only platforms in the country, and they possess some forward-thinking policies. It has been a rather quick evolution of the Wyoming legal sports betting scene. In March, the House of Representatives got the ball rolling with House Bill 133.
A month later, the Senate signed off on the plan and a week after that, the Governor gave his blessing. The public consultation period went smoothly, and the final draft of the rules came with almost zero controversy. Translation - the legal sports betting platform in Wyoming was a welcome one. It figures to be a good testing ground for smaller states wondering about the viability of such an idea for their jurisdictions.
Their welcoming of the youngest bettors in the nation and their acceptance of cryptocurrency will also be scrutinized by the "Big Dog States" currently operating in the US market. So, while it may not be the biggest state with an operating wagering platform, it may be one that sets the stage for a whole new breed of legal sports betting states.
