Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Wyoming Online Poker: The Complete Guide

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Wyoming is the smallest US state in terms of population, but it’s also a state where you can win real money prizes by playing sweepstakes online poker.

Sweepstakes laws in Wyoming and most US states are what allow sweepstakes online poker sites to operate. This also makes them a popular option for online poker players who live in states without a legal regulated market for real money online poker — including Wyoming.

Players can win prizes that can be redeemed for real money by playing sweepstakes poker. There are daily, weekly, and monthly tournaments on sweepstakes online poker sites, as well as sit and gos (SNGs) and ring games.

The sweepstakes pokers sites we recommend are ClubWPT and Global Poker The two sites operate in slightly different ways (which we explain later in this guide) but players can win real money prizes playing on either site. Both have great reputations with players and run on online poker software that many consider to be the among the most advanced in the industry.

Wyomingites can also play online poker for free. There are free-play sites, which we recommend for beginners, and so-called social poker sites. Although free-play sites aren’t particularly useful when it comes to developing a winning poker strategy, they are a good tool for things like memorizing the strength of poker hands or learning how betting unfolds in poker games.

Lawmakers in the Equality State introduced a bill during the 2024 legislative session to legalize online poker and casino gaming. Although the bill ultimately didn’t pass, and there currently is no legal real money online poker market in Wyoming, there is also a good chance that similar legislation will be introduced in 2025.

Watch this space for updates on Wyoming online poker!

Can I play online poker in Wyoming?

Yes, you can play online poker from anywhere within Wyoming’s great expanse! You also have different options available online — depending on whether you want to play for prizes that can be redeemed for real money or you’re just interested in playing a few hands of poker for free.

We recommend sweepstakes poker sites for players interested in competing for real money prizes. The sites offer an experience that’s as close as possible to playing a real cash game. For new players, we recommend free-play sites. These are also the best option for new players or anyone looking to play for free. This guide explains all of your online poker options in the Equality State.

Online Poker in Wyoming: Key Facts
📢 What’s Legal Sweepstakes, free-play, and social poker sites
🔮Real Money Online
Poker (Regulated)
Legislation could be introduced in 2025
Main Highlights Sweepstakes poker has daily tournaments, players can win real money
🃏 Available Games No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and several niche poker variants
🎁 Rewards ClubWPT Premium Rewards, Global Poker Daily Rewards
👥 WY Population 584,000 (ranks 50th)

The Best Online Poker Sites in Wyoming

Wyoming is very popular for its national parks, picturesque views, and vast wilderness. Anyone with access to the internet also has access to sweepstakes poker — which we recommend if you’re interested in an online poker experience as close as possible to a real cash game.

If you’re in Wyoming and looking to play online poker for free, there are several free-play sites you can visit and free-play apps available for download from within the borders of the Equality State — aka the Cowboy State 🤠. We recommend these options for new players or for anyone looking to play online poker without spending any money.

Players can win real money prizes playing sweepstakes poker Sweepstakes poker sites are allowed to operate under sweepstakes law in Wyoming and most other states. There are two types of sites: traditional subscription-based sites and so-called “modern” sweepstakes sites. They operate in slightly different ways, but you can win prizes that are redeemable for real money playing on both types of sites.

Subscription-based sites are a pretty simple concept. For a monthly fee, players get access to daily tournaments which offer real money prizes. We recommend ClubWPT for subscription poker (the site is described a bit more below).

Modern sweepstakes are a little more complicated. Under this model, players use real money to buy play tokens, aka Gold Coins. With their purchase, players are gifted a second type of token, Sweeps Coins. These are valuable to players because they are considered entries into a sweepstakes. Players use Sweeps Coins to enter ring games and tournaments that offer real money prizes. Global Poker is the modern sweepstakes site recommended by pokerfuse.

Real Wyoming gold has value ⛏️. Gold Coins from sweepstakes poker do not. Players use real money to buy Gold Coins on modern sweepstakes poker sites like Global Poker. Gold Coins have no monetary value and can only be used on play-money games.

ClubWPT and Global Poker both run top-notch platforms that are safe and secure for players. Here are short descriptions of both sites:

ClubWPT

ClubWPT online poker roomClubWPT is a popular subscription-based poker site headquartered in California. The site has two paid monthly membership tiers and hosts daily tournaments that offer real money prizes. Some tournaments offer players a chance to win entry to events on the World Poker Tour.

Most of the action on ClubWPT is No Limit Hold’em (NLH) or Pot Limit Omaha. Players will find ring games and sit-and-gos (SNGs) on the site, but ring games are only available in play money mode. That means players can’t win real money prizes through ring games.

Read our full review of ClubWPT »

Global Poker

Global Poker online poker roomGlobal Poker is a modern sweepstakes poker site, where players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Players use Sweeps Coins to access sweepstakes tables, where players can win prizes that can be redeemed for real money.

The site offers regular MTT series that feature large guarantees. Australia-based Global Poker is very popular with players because it gives special prizes to the winners of its tournaments, including custom-made trophies, branded merchandise, and unique avatars.

Read our full review of Global Poker »

Social and Free-Play Poker in Wyoming

If you would rather play online poker for free from Wyoming, you have plenty of options.

The Apple Store and the Google Play store are both stocked with free-play poker apps. There are also free-play and so-called “social poker” sites where you don’t have to spend any money — Zynga Poker, Replay Poker, and Governor of Poker are the names of some popular free-play sites available to Wyomingites. Social media platforms like Facebook also have online poker games for free.

You may be surprised to learn that two of the world’s most popular real money online poker operators, PokerStars and WSOP, also have free versions of their online poker product. They offer PokerStars Play and PlayWSOP, respectively, because they’re hoping players on their free sites will eventually migrate to their “paid” sites — assuming the players live in a state with regulated real money online poker. ClubWPT also has a free version, called Poker All Day (previously PlayWPT).

All of these are great choices for new players, anyone still learning the basics of online poker, or anyone who simply wants to play online poker for free. But remember that since there isn’t any real money at stake on free-play sites, the ability to develop a winning poker strategy will be extremely limited.

Avoid playing real money online poker on offshore sites From Wyoming, you may come across real money online poker sites based offshore. These sites are not recommended. Offshore sites have a bad reputation with players, many of whom feel they have been cheated by the sites. We recommend playing sweepstakes online poker instead. See our Independent Guide to Online Poker for more information.

Real Money Online Poker in Wyoming

Wyoming does not have a regulated market for real money online poker, but lawmakers are interested in establishing one. A bill introduced during the 2024 legislative session called for the state to issue at least five licenses for online casino gaming — presumably, the licensed operators would also offer online poker.

The bill didn’t pass, but another is likely to be introduced in 2025. If any new bill is worded like the 2024 version, Wyoming would also be clear to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), a multi-state gaming compact that supports online poker and some casino games. The compact’s other members are Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia.

Under MSIGA, operators can combine their player pools across multiple states. That creates shared liquidity, which in turn supports larger tournaments and bigger prizes.

Membership in a gaming compact like MSIGA is considered essential for online poker to succeed in a new market. That is especially true for Wyoming, which ranks 50th in terms of population with only about 584,000 residents.

Operators would likely skip launching in Wyoming altogether if it was a segregated market. Their online poker rooms would have few players and generate little excitement without membership in MSIGA. The failed bill from the 2024 legislative session gave the state express permission to join a gaming compact.

Poker Sites That Could Launch in Wyoming

Wyoming would be the least populous member of MSIGA by far. It’s a little more than half the size of Delaware, which has a population of 1 million. West Virginia is the next-largest member state with 1.8 million people, followed by Nevada (3.2 million), New Jersey (9.3 million), and Michigan (10 million).

BetMGM, PokerStars, and WSOP are the three most popular online poker operators in the US. Chicago-based Rush Street Interactive (RSI) is working on a fourth online poker platform, BetRivers Poker.

Since there are no land-based casinos to partner with, operators would be requesting a standalone license from the Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC). In its current form, the bill that calls for legalizing online poker would authorize the issuance of at least five licenses — which means there should be plenty of licenses for everyone. Consider that Wyoming already has six operators licensed for sports betting.

BetMGM and Caesars are currently active in the Equality State with sports betting. Since both are already familiar with the state’s regulator and its players, it seems likely that they would apply to the WGC for a license to offer online poker and casino, too. FanDuel doesn’t have a poker platform, but the brand is owned by Flutter, which also owns PokerStars. Caesars owns WSOP.

Operator Potential WY Partnership Hypothetical Network Plans
PokerStars USA Depending on how the regulator writes the rules for online poker, PokerStars would either share a license with fellow Flutter brand FanDuel or get its own license outright. If Wyoming were in MSIGA, PokerStars could create a three-state network across MI-NJ-WY.
BetMGM Poker The operator has an edge because it’s already live in the state with mobile sports betting. BetMGM could make a four-state network that includes MI-NJ-NV-WY, but only after it combines its MI+NJ player pools and launches in Nevada.
WSOP USA Has the same edge that BetMGM does, in this case because Caesars Sportsbook is live in Wyoming. Caesars owns WSOP. Like BetMGM, WSOP would look to establish a four-state network across MI-NJ-NV-WY.
BetRivers Poker A poker platform in development by Rush Street Interactive (RSI). RSI’s flagship brand, BetRivers, is not live in the state for mobile sports betting. WY is the smallest US market, so if RSI includes the state in its network that means other small states are likely included, too. Look for a five-state network of DE-MI-NJ-WV-WY.

PokerStars WY

PokerStars online poker room WyomingPokerStars could enter the market by applying for a license with the Wyoming Gaming Commission (WGC), but it may not have to. The regulator could decide to issue a license to Flutter, which owns the PokerStars brand.

Flutter owns the FanDuel brand, too. Under a scenario where both brands could share a license, Flutter would launch FanDuel Casino for online casino alongside PokerStars for online poker. FanDuel is already live in Wyoming with mobile sports betting, which means it has player data to share with its sister brand. The data goes back to March 2022.

PokerStars USA has been building a robust online poker network. Wyoming is the smallest market in the US, but PokerStars hasn’t shied away from small markets — it expressed an interest in launching online poker in West Virginia after that state joined MSIGA.

BetMGM Poker WY

BetMGM online poker room WyomingBetMGM is also likely to offer online poker in Wyoming, considering it is already live in the state with mobile sports betting. It has player data going back to the very beginning, when mobile sports betting launched in September 2021.

The operator has some work to do to put together an online poker network across the US. It first needs to combine its player pools in Michigan and New Jersey. BetMGM has long been rumored close to launching online poker in Nevada, and has floated the idea of launching in West Virginia, too. Should all of that come to pass, Wyoming could become part of a five-state BetMGM Poker Network.

WSOP WY

WSOP online poker room WyomingWSOP is another operator that has access to player data. That’s because Caesars Sportsbook has been in-state since August 2022. Caesars also owns WSOP.

WSOP USA currently includes combined player pools in Nevada and New Jersey. The operator is also live in Michigan, but it hasn’t combined its player pool there with the other two MSIGA states. Wyoming could potentially be the fourth state of a four-state network.

If Wyoming joins MSIGA, WSOP will be a popular platform with Wyomingites. That’s because it will give players the opportunity to participate in events from the World Series of Poker, to play in real WSOP events, and to win highly-prized WSOP Gold Bracelets and Online Circuit Gold Rings.

BetRivers Poker WY

BetRivers Poker WyomingBetRivers Poker is an online poker platform being developed by Rush Street Interactive (RSI). The Chicago-based operator has said that it expects to launch BetRivers Poker sometime in 2024.

RSI is expected to launch BetRivers Poker in multiple states at the outset. The biggest possible splash would come from simultaneous rollouts in Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Wyoming. BetRivers Poker will have a monopoly on legal real money online poker in Delaware when it launches.

WYOMING ONLINE POKER FAQ

Is online poker legal in Wyoming?

Yes, you can play online poker from anywhere in Wyoming! We recommend sweepstakes online poker if you’re looking for an experience that closely resembles playing in a real cash game. Free-play and social poker sites are recommended for new players or anyone looking to play online poker for free.

Are subscription poker sites available in Wyoming?

Yes, Wyomingites have access to subscription-based poker. The site we recommend for subscription poker is ClubWPT. For a monthly fee, players get access to tables that offer prizes that can be redeemed for real money. It’s a popular choice for online poker players who live in a state without a regulated market for online poker.

Does Wyoming have modern sweepstakes poker?

Yes, modern sweepstakes poker sites are available in Wyoming. These are sites where players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Players use the latter token to get a seat at sweepstakes tables, which offer real money prizes. Global Poker is the modern sweepstakes poker site that pokerfuse recommends.

Can I play online cash games in Wyoming?

Yes, you will find cash games on Global Poker, which is a modern sweepstakes poker site. Players must use Sweeps Coins to enter cash games that offer prizes redeemable for real money.

Does Wyoming have online poker tournaments?

Yes, ClubWPT and Global Poker have schedules packed with daily, weekly, and monthly tournaments. The most common format for tournament play is No Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH). Both sites also offer branded series unique to their platform.

What types of poker games are available online?

NLH is the most popular variant on ClubWPT. Global Poker has NLH but also offers variants like Pot Limit Omaha. Players will also find bounty tournaments and sit-and-go (SNG) tournaments on Global Poker.

Is PokerStars legal in Wyoming?

PokerStars is a popular poker brand, but it is not available in WY. Although Wyoming ranks dead last among the US states in terms of population, PokerStars would likely still want to launch there. It also has many potential customer referrals from its sister brand FanDuel, which is live in Wyoming with mobile sports betting.

Will Wyoming regulate online poker anytime soon?

It’s possible that Wyoming could have a regulated market for real money online poker in the next couple of years. Lawmakers introduced a bill to legalize online poker and casino gaming in 2024, but it didn’t win enough support in the Wyoming Legislature. Another attempt to pass a bill could come in 2025, with a regulated market launching sometime thereafter.

Does Wyoming have any other forms of igaming?

Yes, Wyoming has had mobile sports betting since September 2021. There are six sportsbooks licensed in the state, but only four are live. Wyoming does not have a state-regulated market for real money online poker or casino gaming.

Can I play offshore online poker sites instead?

Offshore poker sites don’t offer the same consumer protections as legal regulated sites, so they’re not recommended. Players put themselves at risk of identity theft when they disclose their personal information on offshore poker sites. Federal officials have warned US citizens not to play online poker on offshore sites because they have no legal recourse to collect any winnings owed to them.

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