SF 44 Wyoming House · 2026 Regular Session

Gambling amendments.

This bill amends Wyoming's gambling laws by adding a new definition for "bona fide social relationship" to clarify what qualifies as non-gambling social activity. It specifies that casual games among friends or family at private gatherings (e.g., home poker nights) are exempt from gambling laws only if the relationship is genuine, not created for gambling, and meets strict conditions like no advertising, no professional involvement, and no profit beyond direct winnings. The bill directly affects private social groups hosting informal games, ensuring they remain legally distinct from commercial gambling. It does not change existing exemptions for charitable raffles or professional sports betting. The changes take effect July 1, 2026.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Feb 9, 2026 Signed Mar 6, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Enrolled · 3 edits · Mar 6, 2026
MINOR
The bill was finalized and enrolled as Act No. 38, retaining its original text regarding gambling definitions and exemptions. The primary change is the addition of a new definition for 'bona fide social relationship,' which clarifies that such relationships must involve genuine, pre-existing connections rather than those formed solely for gambling purposes. This amendment aims to prevent individuals from fabricating social ties to legally engage in otherwise prohibited gambling activities.
Scope change
The scope of the bill remains focused on amending gambling laws, but the new definition narrows the scope of the 'bona fide social relationship' exemption by explicitly excluding relationships created for the purpose of gambling.
DEFINITION

Added a specific definition for 'bona fide social relationship' to clarify that it requires genuine, established connections between people and excludes relationships formed solely for gambling.

TECHNICAL

Changed the document header from 'Introduced' to 'Enrolled' and updated the title to reflect it is now Act No. 38 of the 68th Legislature.

TIMELINE

Confirmed the effective date of July 1, 2026, in the enrolled version.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 20, 2026 · House Mar 3, 2026

How they voted

310
Passed
Total votes 31
Feb 20, 2026
D Democratic2
2 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican29
29 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
20
Key actions
7
Committee
4
Mar 6, 2026
Signed into law
Governor Signed SEA No. 0038
legislature
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
H 3rd Reading:Passed 58-0-4-0-0
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
H COW:Passed
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
H03 - Revenue:Recommend Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0
lower
Feb 23, 2026
Introduced
H Introduced and Referred to H03 - Revenue
lower
Feb 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
S 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
S COW:Passed
upper
Feb 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
S03 - Revenue:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
upper
Feb 9, 2026
Introduced
S Introduced and Referred to S03 - Revenue 30-1-0-0-0
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.