Lottery working with retailers on rollout, timeline TBA

By Kate Northrop

The Wyoming Lottery announced that it is working through formal steps to begin allowing ticket purchases with debit cards.

Wyoming lottery players will be getting access to a new payment method, albeit with some delay before implementation.

Earlier this year, Wyoming legislature passed SF0024 during the 2026 budget session, which amends a law that states what payment methods are either allowed or prohibited.

Previously, the only acceptable payment method for lottery tickets was cash, and others including debit cards, checks, and charge cards were excluded.

While the bill passed by a majority, some legislators expressed concerns that digital payment methods would signal a step that enables problematic spending.

"I don't know how I can support this knowing that the transaction is just that much easier to throw your money down the drain," Senator John Kolb had said on the Senate floor. "I don't take away your right to do that; I just think that it was beneficial that they had seen the transactional situation with cash."

But Senator Ogden Driskill argued that debit card transactions actually make understanding personal spending more transparent since they are trackable in bank statements.

Senator Wendy Schuler also dismissed worries that offering more convenient payment methods would increase problem gambling behavior since many players without cash will visit an ATM to acquire cash anyway, incurring extra fees in the process.

Retailers also don't have to be concerned by absorbing any transaction fees incurred by debit card purchases since the Wyoming Lottery promised that it would cover the additional 2.25% to 2.5% charges for those purchases. Retailers can also choose whether they'd like to accept debit cards for lottery tickets at their location, meaning it is not mandatory for retailers to participate.

Governor Mark Gordon signed SF0024 into law on Feb. 27, making Wyoming one of the 45th out of 46 U.S. jurisdictions with lotteries to accept debit card payments.

Lottery CEO John Clontz said that the change could generate an additional $300,000 to $400,000 in revenue after the commitment to cover transaction fees and equipment costs. Without covering those costs, the figure would have been somewhere between $800,000 and $1 million.

"We'll make a little extra money if it passes, but it's less about that and more about the convenience factor," Clontz had said before the measure had passed.

The bill listed an effective date of July 1, 2026, but there is still some work being done on the Lottery's end to implement the change. Debit cards are not yet being accepted.

"While the legislation allowed this to start as early as July 1, 2026, the Wyoming Lottery is currently working with its technology and retail partners to finalize the transaction process, implementation timeline, and retailer requirements before pushing this update live," the Lottery said in a statement. "Additional details and timing will be announced once implementation plans are finalized. Until then, lottery purchases can continue to be made using current payment methods"