Wyoming lawmakers advance bill granting cities more control over gambling facilities

Wyoming lawmakers have advanced legislation that would give cities and towns formal authority over simulcasting and historic horse racing (HHR) facilities, marking a shift away from the state’s current county-led approval system.

The Legislature’s Select Committee on Gaming voted 5-1 on Tuesday to approve a bill titled “Local Approval for Simulcasting,” sending it to the Wyoming Management Council for further consideration. The proposal would require gambling operators to obtain municipal consent for simulcasting and HHR permits, following a process similar to that used for liquor licenses, as reported by The Sheridan Press.

A second measure, also approved with amendments, would set caps on the number of HHR terminals allowed in the state.

Local officials testified strongly in favour of the control measure, noting that 44 of the state’s 47 existing permit holders are located within city limits, yet municipalities currently have no statutory oversight. Under the present law, county commissions decide permit approvals.

Rep. Steve Johnson, a Republican from Cheyenne, said during remarks to Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins that clearer zoning rules could have prevented past disputes over jurisdiction.

But local leaders argued zoning alone was insufficient to regulate gambling venues, saying it governs locations but not community standards or safety concerns.

Mills Mayor Leah Juarez said zoning is a “mapping tool” that regulates location and setbacks but does not provide the “moral or social review process” required for public safety and community character management.

“It turns gaming into an automatic right, not a privilege earned through public review, which is essentially erosion of local control,” Juarez said of granting local authority solely through zoning. “So permitting is not a land-use question. It’s about public safety and community character.”

The amended bill would allow both municipalities and counties to attach conditions to permits and revoke them if necessary.