Wyoming

Last updated: 9/4/2026

This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Poker laws vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Consult a licensed attorney in your state for specific legal questions about hosting poker games.

Private home poker remains legal in Wyoming but under a narrowed exception: 2026 Senate File 44 (Chapter 51, Session Laws of Wyoming 2026), signed March 5, 2026 and effective July 1, 2026, amended the exceptions to the offense of gambling and defined 'bona fide social relationship' to exclude relationships arising for the purpose of gambling. The state has no commercial card rooms; tribal gaming operates on the Wind River Reservation alongside regulated pari-mutuel/historic horse racing and online sports wagering. Charitable gaming is narrow, and Wyoming Gaming Commission enforcement in 2026 has shut down bar-based charity card games and 'Queen of Hearts' progressive raffles.

Home Games

Legal With Strict Conditions

Social gambling remains an exception to Wyoming's general gambling prohibition, but 2026 Senate File 44 tightened it. A legal private game must be incidental to a genuine, pre-existing social relationship, must not be advertised or open to the public, may involve natural persons only, and no host, venue, or intermediary may take any payment beyond direct winnings.

Conditions

Participants must share a 'bona fide social relationship' — a genuine relationship in which each person has established knowledge of the other; a relationship that arose for the purpose of gambling does not qualify (2026 SF 44)
The gambling must be incidental to that bona fide social relationship
Only natural persons may participate — no commercial entities
The game may not be advertised (including on venue signage or websites) or open to public participation
No person — host, venue, or intermediary — may receive any remuneration beyond the direct realization of winnings: no rake, house cut, seat fee, or membership/club fee
Operating or profiting from a game is 'professional gambling' and is a felony under W.S. 6-7-102

Charitable Gaming

Charitable gaming is narrow. Wyoming Gaming Commission officials state that bingo, pull-tabs, and Calcutta wagering are the charitable formats authorized and licensed by the WGC (licenses are free and obtained online); traditional raffles/drawings are permitted but are not defined in statute. Following 2026 SF 44, the WGC has treated progressive raffles such as 'Queen of Hearts' and charity card/poker games run in bars and restaurants as illegal and has shut them down statewide. Interim bill drafts in 2026 to authorize/regulate progressive raffles and to require at least 50% of raffle proceeds go to charity were discussed but not advanced.

Commercial Poker

The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes operate casino gaming on the Wind River Reservation. No commercial casinos or card rooms exist outside tribal lands, though the state does license pari-mutuel/historic horse racing (2025 handle of $2.49 billion), skill-based amusement games (restricted by 2026 SF 46 to on-premises licensed liquor establishments), and online sports wagering. There is no regulated online casino or online poker.

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