Wyoming Lottery asks committee to consider debit cards for ticket sales; counties seek consolidation of problem-gambling funds

Wyoming Lottery leaders and county and public-health representatives briefed the joint committee on two related topics: (1) a request to allow debit-card purchases for lottery tickets to reduce large cash holdings at retail locations and modernize access, and (2) county and Department of Health requests to rationalize and consolidate the state’s problem-gambling funding streams.

Lottery CEO John Klontz said the lottery has operated since 2014 with strong audits and the goals of retaining revenue in-state and supporting designated causes. He told the committee that allowing debit-card purchases is a modernization step that would improve retailer safety (fewer large cash holdings during big multistate jackpots) and increase access for players who do not carry cash; he and staff said 43 states currently allow debit cards for lottery purchases and that a move to debit cards might also recover several percent of revenue now leaving the state.

Klontz said federal or state statute currently prohibits non-cash payment methods for some purchases; permitting debit cards would require a statutory change (LSO draft was requested and the committee approved a draft request at the meeting). He emphasized that the lottery would not be seeking credit-card use and that administrative safeguards would be used to prevent misuse or fraud.

County representatives and Department of Health staff asked lawmakers to examine how problem-gambling funds are collected and distributed. Under current law, a $300,000 allocation from online sports-wagering revenue is routed through the Department of Health and distributed to counties (formula based on adult population), while the lottery has a separate $200,000 set-aside for problem-gambling work. Witnesses described friction: some counties decline the small allocations because they are too small to administer locally; distribution and administrative responsibility are fragmented across multiple agencies (Department of Health, lottery, Wyoming Gaming Commission). County representatives suggested consolidating funding flows, clarifying allowable uses (prevention, treatment, services) and identifying a single administrative home or a coordinated grant process.

Ending: The committee approved a request for an LSO bill draft to allow debit-card purchases of lottery tickets (limited to debit, not credit) and asked agencies to coordinate on problem-gambling funding and administration; members noted related work is scheduled with a management-council-established task force on gaming and that additional committee coordination may follow.