Wyoming lawmakers propose felony ban on online sweepstakes games
VGW says it has run sweepstakes games in Wyoming since 2012 & calls the bill overbroad.
The hit
Wyoming’s Select Committee on Gaming has unanimously sponsored a draft bill that would ban online sweepstakes games & make operating them a felony, according to the Laramie Boomerang. Wyoming Gaming Commission head Nicholas Larramendy says the games create a regulatory “constant cycle” between his agency & the state’s consumer protection unit.
Why it matters
Sweepstakes operators like VGW currently sit in a grey zone, treated as promotional advertising rather than gambling under Wyoming’s Consumer Protection Act. A felony classification would force sites offering free-to-play games with casino-style slots & jackpots out of the state entirely, regardless of their federally required free-entry option.
The record
| Wyoming gambling wagered last year | $2.7bn (Nicholas Larramendy, Wyoming Gaming Commission) |
|---|---|
| Projected 2026 wagers | over $3bn (Wyoming Gaming Commission) |
| VGW’s time operating in Wyoming | since 2012 (Bill Gantz, VGW attorney) |
| Select Committee on Gaming formed | 2025 |
What happens next
Watch for the bill’s progress through the Wyoming legislature, alongside a separate committee-sponsored measure updating fingerprinting rules for Gaming Commission-regulated individuals.
Sources: Wyoming lawmakers propose felony ban on online sweepstakes games
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