Committee advances bill to allow debit-card purchases of Wyoming Lottery tickets after debate on fees and courier apps

The Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee voted to advance bill draft 26LO01122, which would permit debit-card purchases of Wyoming Lottery tickets and require the lottery corporation to adopt implementing rules. Lottery leadership told the committee the corporation would assume the card transaction fees and that retailers could opt out of accepting card payments.

John Klontz, CEO of the Wyoming Lottery, summarized the corporation's recent performance and the rationale for the change: "To date, so far, just a few numbers, we've returned $44,000,000 back to cities, towns, and counties. We paid out over $152,000,000 in prizes and just over $22,000,000 in commissions to retailers," he said, and added the move to accept debit cards is intended to provide a convenience for travelers and customers who do not carry cash.

Matt Kaufman, outside counsel for the lottery, said the corporation expects to bear interchange fees (estimated roughly 2.25% to 2.5%) rather than shift them to retailers and that the change would require board-level action to implement the statutory change. The draft preserves a $125-per-transaction limit that the lottery has used on large retail purchases and the staff said retailers would complete separate transactions if a buyer purchases both non-lottery goods and lottery tickets.

Retail and trade organizations commented during the hearing. Mike Mosher of the Wyoming State Liquor Association signaled support and thanked the lottery for addressing retailer concerns over fees. Greg Bailey of the Wyoming Petroleum Marketers and Community Store Association urged additional safeguards to prevent third-party courier or app-based services from purchasing and redistributing tickets in ways that would circumvent brick-and-mortar retailer obligations. Bailey asked that the lottery and lawmakers consider either statutory guardrails or rules to bar unvetted app-based sales.

Committee members pressed for clarifications on safeguards, the treatment of debit versus credit transactions, and disputes or fraudulent-charge procedures at small retailers. Lottery staff described surveillance and transaction-review processes for large prizes, and said they have handled isolated incidents by reimbursing affected parties.

The committee adopted the draft by voice/roll call after a motion by Senator Schueller and a second from Representative Campbell. Roll call recorded 12 ayes, 0 no, 0 abstentions and 2 excused members (Bonner and Hicks). The committee asked lottery staff to pursue administrative rulemaking and report back on courier/app issues if they arise.

Ending: With the recommendation to introduce 26LO01122, the committee moved the measure toward formal drafting and a potential bill file in the 2026 legislative session; staff will return with rule details and any recommended guardrails for third-party services.