Wyoming Bar Owners Ended Popular Gambling Games

New legislation has forced businesses across Wyoming to retire long-standing shake-a-day games and football pools.

Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Gambling

Wyoming Bar Owners Ended Popular Gambling Games

Live Poll

Should small bars in your community be allowed to host casual, non-profit games of chance?

Wyoming bar owners are shuttering traditional games such as shake-a-days and football pools to comply with Senate File 44, which became law on July 1, 2026. The legislation clarifies gambling prohibitions and imposes strict penalties for illegal social gaming.

Why it matters

Lawmakers passed the act to address concerns regarding professional poker halls attempting to use social gambling exemptions to operate. Bar owners are choosing to end these popular activities to avoid potential felony charges for hosting games that do not meet the new, narrow legal criteria.

Senate File 44 requires games to meet six conditions, including no house cut, to be legal. Penalties for hosting illegal games reach 3 years in prison and $3,000 in fines, while participating carries a max of 6 months in jail and $750 in fines.

The players

Wyoming Gaming Commission

This state regulatory body is responsible for enforcing gaming laws and confirming the legality of specific bar games.

Select Gaming Committee

This legislative group oversees state gambling policy and is currently reviewing potential future measures for progressive gaming.

The details

The law defines a bona fide social relationship to exclude connections formed solely to gamble. Establishments like the No Name Bar in Sheridan and The Parkman Bar are ending their shake-a-day programs to align with state requirements.

March 2026: Senate File 44 passed the state Legislature.
July 1, 2026: The gambling legislation officially became active law.
October 10, 2026: The No Name Bar is scheduled to end its shake-a-day game.
October 17, 2026: The Parkman Bar plans to discontinue its shake-a-day program.

Roadmap

The enforcement of Senate File 44 represents a broader shift in Wyoming toward tighter regulation of the state's informal social gaming sector. This trend signals a movement to distinguish professional gambling operations from traditional community social activities.

Residents should expect many local bars in communities like Sheridan and Parkman to remove long-standing gaming boards and dice games. These changes mean patrons will no longer be able to participate in traditional football pools or shake-a-day games at these establishments.

The takeaway

The new law effectively ends a long era of casual, unregulated bar-based wagering in the state. Readers should be aware that participating in games that do not meet these strict legal criteria now carries the risk of criminal misdemeanor charges.

What happens next

The Select Gaming Committee is currently evaluating potential future legislation that could address the legalization of progressive gaming, which may be debated in upcoming legislative sessions.