Wyoming Attorney General terms ‘skill games’ illegal

Peter Michael, the Attorney General of Wyoming, has stated that the so-called “skill games” prevalent in the state are illegal gambling devices.

“At the request of law enforcement officials, I was asked to evaluate whether the electronic games manufactured by Banilla Games are illegal under Wyoming law,” Michael said in a statement Tuesday. “These machines are illegal gambling devices under Wyoming law. Those who play them are engaged in gambling, which is a crime in Wyoming, and those who provide the games are engaged in professional gambling, which is also a crime in Wyoming.”

Michael’s legal opinion does not cover “historic horse racing” terminals at pari-mutuel off-track betting locations. Those terminals are legally valid in Wyoming.

Similarly, it does not concern tribal gaming operations on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

“Because gambling in Wyoming is a crime, not a civil violation, local law enforcement officials and prosecutors will need to determine the timing of the appropriate next steps if their communities have these machines,” Michael said.