The Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC) has issued a warning to state residents and visitors pertaining to illegal online casinos, social casinos, and sweepstakes casinos operating within the Equality State.
“The Commission emphasizes that such online casinos, poker rooms, and other forms of iGaming are illegal in Wyoming and are not licensed or regulated by the Wyoming Gaming Commission,” the regulator said on Thursday.
Wyoming Cautions Residents Over Social Casinos, Sweepstakes Casinos
Although online sports betting and fantasy sports are legal in Wyoming, online casino games like slots, blackjack, and roulette for real money remain strictly prohibited.
In addition to unregulated online casino platforms, the WGC has also cautioned residents against using sweepstakes and social casino sites that offer real-money payouts.
Nicholas Larramendy, Executive Director, said:
“We want to make it unequivocally clear: no online casino, iGaming, or sweepstakes site is licensed by the Wyoming Gaming Commission, and they are all operating illegally in Wyoming. We strongly encourage everyone to avoid these websites, however, patrons who choose to engage with these unlicensed platforms do so at their own risk.
“The Commission cannot provide assistance or intervention in cases of disputes regarding winnings or other account issues arising from participation in illegal iGaming. Again, because most of these operations are based outside of the United States, enforcement of local laws becomes difficult.”
Real-Money Platforms Lack Regulatory Oversight
The WGC added in its news release that the aforementioned operations, often based offshore, include sites that may appear legitimate but lack any regulatory oversight in Wyoming.
This warning applies to any real-money website that offers casino-style gaming. Such operations have even created Wyoming LLC’s and display in-state addresses on their websites.
While loopholes still exist for certain social casino sites to operate, the WGC said it will take the necessary action “to shut down the operation in our state when we become aware of an illegal operation.”
“Our primary responsibility is to protect the integrity of gaming in Wyoming and safeguard its citizens,” the Commission added. “We urge anyone with questions about the legality of a particular online gambling site or service to contact our office directly.”
Montana became the first U.S. state to ban online sweepstakes gaming on Friday.