A Wyoming committee spent more than an hour discussing legal igaming, but could not get a second on a motion to consider it.
Members of the travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources committee on Monday (3 February) sat in silence for several moments after representative Cathy Connelly made a motion for the committee to work the bill. When no second came, committee chair Andrew Byron said “hearing no second, the bill is postponed indefinitely”.
HB 162, which would allow for statewide legal igaming, isn’t quite dead. The Wyoming legislative session ends on 6 March, but the crossover deadline – the date a bill can move from one chamber to the next – is 12 February.
Tribes not enthusiastic
The hearing for HB 162 started 30 January, but the committee ran short on time and couldn’t complete it. At that time, representatives from the Northern Arapahoe and Shoshone tribes testified in opposition.
Both said that other expansions of gaming, among them legal sports betting and historical horse racing, have already cut into their revenue. Online gambling, they said, would continue that trend, putting the livelihoods of many tribal members in peril. The decrease in revenue also means the tribes cannot offer as many services to its members as they had previously.
Problem and responsible gambling advocates also testified in opposition while the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) and others testified in favour. But clearly, the committee was not moved by that testimony.
The SBA is a trade association comprised of BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting & Gaming and FanDuel.
“By transitioning from an unregulated, untaxed igaming environment to a structured and lawful one, the state can harness substantial economic benefits while safeguarding its residents,” said Sarah Filosa on behalf of the SBA.