Wyoming sports betting license applications to open Thursday

The Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC) announced on Tuesday that it will make its application for sports betting operators in its state available on its website starting Thursday, July 15, giving potential applicants clear “directives” to follow regarding their licensing process.

Back in April, Governor Mark Gordon signed bill H.B. 133 into law, which provides for legal online sports wagering in the state, the law allows for five internet sportsbook licenses, each at a cost of $100,000, with an annual renewal set at $50,000.

So far, a number of major national operators have submitted formal letters of intent to imply for the Wyoming sports betting licenses, including Barstool Sports, BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel, as reported by WSN. SuperBook Sports has also shown interest after recently going live in nearby Colorado with its first mobile app outside of Nevada.

Wyoming hopes to join Indiana and Iowa as the third state to go from “legal to live” in less than five months, with their sights set on September 1 as their deadline to launch the operators who are selected. If met, this timeline would mean the state could begin taking advantage of all the NFL bets that Wyoming punters would be placed elsewhere.

Despite Wyoming being the least populated state with less than 600,000 residents, the potential income this new venture creates is significant, with a 10% tax on gaming revenues expecting to create an in-state sports wagering market estimated at almost $450 million. Citizens of Wyoming already migrate out of the state to place bets, an activity that is happening both legally and illegally across their physical borders and online.