Legislature deals with gambling laws

Wyoming voters shot down a proposal 10 years ago that would have allowed casino-style gambling in the state.

The initiative failed in the 1994 general election by about 68 percent to 32 percent statewide, with Campbell County showing a greater disapproval vote of about 71 percent.

But a decade later it's hard to wonder if the initiative really did fail. Electronic bingo, slot machine-style devices and poker tournaments that were found at bars and businesses in Wyoming weren't far from games of chance found in legitimate gambling towns.

Although a rise in gaming scrutiny coupled with a recent court ruling that killed video bingo and effectively banned other types of machines has been seen, gambling is far from a dead issue in the state.

Wyoming lawmakers this session are considering a variety of proposed legislation dealing with bingo, joining a multi-state lottery, regulating pull tabs and casino gaming operated by Indian tribes.

"The bingo issue and lottery issue are not casino-type gambling but, yeah, it's gambling," said Rep. Pat Childers, R-Cody, who sponsored proposals dealing with bingo and its electronic counterpart.

But there's more to the gambling issue in Wyoming than picking numbers.

"It's not just the bingo or the lottery. It's also the poker tournaments going around and to a certain extent the Internet ... and this is all against the backdrop of the casino going up on the (Wind River) Indian reservation," said Sen. Bruce Burns, R-Sheridan, who joined Childers in sponsoring a bill to study electronic bingo.

While lawmakers each year continue to throw in their 2 cents concerning various gambling debates, Wyoming may become more of a betting state.

"Quite frankly it's been 10 years since that issue was put on the ballot," Childers said about the initiative. "I guess I feel like maybe we should have something on the ballot to address that issue again to find out from the citizens what they want."

- For a complete story, see Sunday's News-Record