Senate adopts amendment tightening visibility rules for skill-based amusement games to limit youth exposure

The Wyoming Senate adopted an amendment to Senate File 46 on Feb. 19 that changes language about whether skill-based amusement games may be ‘on view’ to the public, part of a debate over youth exposure and the regulatory burden on businesses.

Senator Barlow, who moved the amendment, pointed to the current statute and said operators “shall not locate a skill based amusement game in an area of an establishment into which a person under the age 21 years may enter,” arguing the change would align statutory protections and that the earlier ‘on view’ language created inconsistency. “If there was things those game for placed in a place where folks under 21 could enter, they weren't following the current law,” he said.

Opponents including Senator Cole and Senator Pappas cautioned that additional display restrictions could impose construction costs on business owners and argued that current licensing and age‑restriction rules already limit access. Senator Cole said businesses are not being seized but required to comply with rules and stressed the product’s different appeal to young people: “It is something that attracts children ... the graphics popping up and the flashy lights.” Senator Pappas said enforcement and parental supervision, plus existing law that restricts play to those 21 and over, mitigated the concern that visibility alone would lead to underage play.

After floor discussion and questions about possible placement in grocery or big-box stores, the amendment was adopted on second reading and the Senate resumed consideration of the bill.

The transcript records extended back-and-forth on where machines could be sited, whether they must be inside alcohol sales areas, and whether glass barriers or solid walls would meet the requirement; sponsors said the change is meant to protect minors while opponents warned of business costs.