Wyoming Lottery

src: wyolotto.com

The Wyoming Lottery Corporation, branded as WyoLotto, began its operations on July 1, 2013 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Wyoming Lottery Corporation is governed by a nine-member board of directors, with each member selected by then-Gov. Matt Mead.

Video Wyoming Lottery

History

Gov. Mead signed HB 77 on March 13, 2013, authorizing Wyoming to create a state lottery, and enter into agreements with other U.S. lotteries for multi-state games. The law specifically prohibits scratchcards, instant win games, and video lottery terminals; thus, joining the North Dakota Lottery as the only U.S. jurisdiction to prohibit scratch-off tickets. Initially, the lottery bill had a validity period until 2019. A re-authorization was required for continuation; however, the legislature has since removed the validity clause.

Operations began on August 24, 2014, with 400 retailers authorized to sell lottery tickets. The lottery law authorizes distribution of the first $6 million in annual revenue to cities and counties, and the remaining amount goes to schools. The state is projected to receive $9 million yearly in revenue from the lottery. The decision to not allow scratch-off tickets is expected to severely restrict the projected revenue generated by the lottery, as 51 percent of national lottery revenue is derived from instant tickets. However, Gov. Mead justified the law by claiming that this would reduce the amount of out-of-state spending by Wyoming residents. The Colorado Lottery estimated that $1.26 million in annual revenue was generated by Wyoming residents purchasing tickets in Colorado. Conversely, the Wyoming Lottery is expected to attract revenue from Utah, specifically the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, as Utah population centers are much closer to Wyoming than either Colorado or Idaho. Wyoming's first two lottery games are Mega Millions and Powerball both available on the first day of sales. Wyoming, unlike North Dakota, allows in-state games; Wyoming added Cowboy Draw in 2015. The Lottery joined Lucky for Life in 2016.

Lottery bills had been rejected multiple times in Wyoming since the 1980s. The legislation was modeled after the Georgia Lottery such that the board of directors answers to the governor, but is not a direct agency; and after the North Dakota Lottery in its solicitation of multi-state lotteries, organization, and the state's low population. As with most U.S. lotteries, the minimum age to purchase a ticket is 18. The Wyoming Lottery created the Problem Gambling Council, which includes designated employees of the Wyoming Department of Health and other organizations. Wyoming becomes the 44th state (plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) to create a lottery. The states that have not approved a lottery are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah.