WYOMING is cracking down on gambling with a new law heavily restricting classic bar games.
Bingo, dice, football boards, and other games of change are now illegal to host or play.
Wyoming bar owners are mourning the loss of the games that have amassed business for years.
Cheryl Burkhardt, who’s owned The Office Saloon in Gillette for 12 years, said she plans on shutting down the popular shake-a-day-game.
Shake-a-day is a dice game that lets customers pay a small fee to roll dice.
If they hit a certain combination, like three of a kind, they can win the pot of cash or a free drink.
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Burkhardt said the games are “just for the patrons’ fun,” and don’t yield a profit for the bar.
She believes that the new state law, which went into effect in July, drives business exclusively towards state-sanctioned casinos, which are ubiquitous around Wyoming.
“Eighty-plus machines in each [casino],” she told the Cowboy State Daily.
“One gives away free food, cheap beer.
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“And I’m supposed to run a bar and compete against that; no one’s going to come out and pay me for a meal or a drink when they can get it cheap or free at the casino.”
Tyler Bennett, owner of the No Name Bar in Sheridan, is also ending shake-a-day on October 10.
“I’m 44 and ever since I was allowed in bars, there’s been shake-a-days,” he said.
“Now we’ve got a Wyoming lottery and gaming halls all over the place, but we’re not letting people do a small-stakes game of chance like that?”
Wyoming Gaming Commission Director Nick Larramendy said that while his office isn’t targeting shake-a-day games, they are illegal.
“I will tell you, our office has not sent any cease and desist letters for shake-a-day,” said Larramendy.
“We have not presented any cases to prosecutors for shake-a-day.”
However, the penalty for illegal gambling is six months in jail or a $750 fine.
Hosts who derive a profit from the game can be hit with a felony charge, punishable by three years in prison and $3,000 fine.
“Businesses deciding to shut down are doing that – I think – really understanding what the law does say now, and they wouldn’t want to risk a felony,” Larramendy added.
“Which is smart, quite honestly.”