You will not find a whole lot about gambling in general within the penal code of the state of Wyoming. However the laws that you do find, at first glance, seem a little harsh but on further inspection they are not so bad at all. The law states that unregulated gambling is in fact illegal, but make exceptions for what they term 'social gambling'. The laws are not complex and pretty straight forward, so take a read of below to see where you stand when playing poker in the fine state of Wyoming. Playing online poker seems to be just fine and many players from the state of Wyoming play at such rooms as Betonline Poker on a regular basis.
Playing Home Games in Wyoming
As mentioned above Wyoming deems gambling illegal and in Section 6-7-102 of the penal code it reads, “A person who engages in gambling commits a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), or both.” Seems a little harsh until you continue and find the term gambling does not include, “Any game, wager or transaction which is incidental to a bona fide social relationship, is participated in by natural persons only, and in which no person is participating, directly or indirectly, in professional gambling.” As you can see, the word gambling is key to it all and if you are playing a social game then in the eyes of the law you are not in fact gambling. This makes playing poker in home games perfectly legal and there is a decent home game poker scene in the state. As long as you are not hosting the game for profit by either raking the pot or charging an entry fee then you are 100% fine.
Playing Poker Online in Wyoming
As with many states, Wyoming has no mention at all of online gambling within it's penal code. There is no mention of the internet or indeed placing bets over the phone. This we assume makes playing online poker in the state of Wyoming absolutely fine and many residents of the state regularly play at online poker rooms such as Betonline Poker, Full Flush Poker and Americas Cardroom. They are welcomed with open arms and will find some great online tournaments and cash games to get involved in. It's worth noting that there is no law at federal level regarding online poker either and many states in the union are in the process of officially legalizing online poker as it can generate plenty of tax revenue for the state.
Playing in a Wyoming Casino
Let's put it this way...Wyoming is not Las Vegas. In fact there is only one casino in the state of Wyoming and that only offers betting. The state has never seen casinos as a possible source of tax revenue and with it being the smallest state in the union and not noted for its tourism then it's probably safe to say things will stay like this for some time to come.
