Gaming commission urges consolidated review of statutes and oversight; counties ask to streamline problem‑gaming funds

An official representing the state gaming commission told the committee that gambling statutes are dispersed across multiple title books and some provisions date back more than 20 years, creating confusion. The presenter asked that the committee consider a statutory review to create uniformity across skill‑based amusement games, pari‑mutuel wagering and online sports wagering and to consider whether commission structure and meeting cadence should change to match present workloads.

The gaming presenter said recent work included a statewide study commissioned with joint appropriations and suggested the committee could use that study as a starting point. "Some of our statutes on the gaming and gambling side haven't been visited in 20 plus years," the presenter said.

Jeremiah Reaman, representing the Wyoming County Commissioners Association, asked the committee to examine how roughly $300,000 pockets of problem‑gaming funds are managed across three entities — Department of Health, Wyoming Lottery and Gaming Commission — and whether consolidation or clarified allowable uses would increase efficiency and better serve citizens in need of problem‑gaming support.

Committee members recommended an educational briefing to catch up on recent changes — including pari‑mutuel and rodeo questions from this session — and then a phased statutory review that could include consolidating statutes into one title and evaluating commission resources and meeting frequency.