In one of the last strongholds of the Wild West, Wyoming state Senator Ogden Driskill wants to rein in skill games and other unruly forms of gaming that escape regulation by increasing the responsibilities of Pari-Mutuel Commission—which regulates horse racing—to make it the Wyoming Gaming Commission, in charge of all forms of gaming in the Cowboy State.
Driskill told CDC Gaming Reports: “We really don’t know what’s there, and it varies county to county and town to town. You may have a poker game in one town, and the next town over, it isn’t allowed.”
He’s also taking aim at “skill games” which have sprung up like desert flowers at bars and taverns all over the state.
“We had so-called skill games or gray games come in on what they saw as a crack in the law regarding skill games,” said the senator. “At this point, there’s probably between 500 to 1,000 of these machines out there that at some point in the past would’ve been deemed illegal.”
He added, “The attempt at the commission and the new bill are not attempts to expand gaming in Wyoming, merely to define what’s already there. It would also create a model that anyone who is gaming in Wyoming would need a permit or a license, so the state knew where and what gaming is occurring.”
Currently the responsibilities Driskill would hand to the Wyoming Gaming Commission are wielded by the state Attorney General and county attorneys. But not wielded very strongly or enthusiastically.
County attorneys tend to shy away from this responsibility, says Driskill, because the gaming industry has shown itself willing to fight in court and has the money to drag things out. “They don’t want to end up in endless litigation,” he said.
Driskill also wants to protect consumers who currently take all the risks when they play skill-based or other unregulated games. “It really leaves it to the Wild, Wild West,” he said, noting that consumers have no recourse if they are cheated or play a bad machine.
In addition, a number of skill games have been held by Attorney General Peter Michael to actually be games of chance.
Nevertheless, the number of such games is increasing exponentially, according to the senator. “The initial numbers right now indicate that the creation of the commission and authority to require licensing would raise $12 million to $15 million for the state,” said Driskill.
