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City staff urges local electeds to attend Gaming Commission hearing on Wyoming Downs expansion and licensing concerns
Summary
City staff said the state Gaming Commission will consider Wyoming Downs’ request to add machines and noted local concerns about lack of statutory revocation authority and transfer safeguards; staff encouraged elected officials to attend the commission meeting in Casper to raise those issues.
City staff briefed the council on an upcoming Gaming Commission meeting regarding Wyoming Downs’ request to add gaming machines and urged elected officials to consider attending to raise concerns about licensing revocation and transfer safeguards.
City Administrator Stu McCray relayed points from Ashley Hartsbeef, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities (WAM), that the Gaming Commission will meet in Casper to consider Wyoming Downs’ request to add 25 machines, which would increase their total to 107. McCray said WAM and staff want elected officials present to speak about two concerns: (1) Wyoming statute, as currently written, does not provide cities or counties with revocation authority if an establishment acts badly, and (2) statutes lack guardrails for sale or transfer of licenses, meaning ownership could transfer out of state without local control.
McCray said legislation to expand municipal authority for revocation and transfer oversight had been proposed but did not advance out of committee. He said the upcoming commission meeting is an opportunity for local elected officials to voice concerns.
Why it matters: Local officials said the statutory framework limits municipal recourse if a gambling establishment changes ownership or operates in a manner the community finds objectionable, so a commission hearing on machine counts could be a venue for raising those policy concerns.
No formal council action was recorded; staff said the item is informational and suggested attendance by elected officials at the commission meeting.
