Wisconsin online sports betting bill heads to Assembly for key vote
Online sports betting bill heads to Assembly
Wisconsin lawmakers are preparing to vote on a bill that could move that state closer to legal online sports betting, a practice that remains banned except on tribal lands.
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - Wisconsin lawmakers are preparing to vote on a bill that could move the state closer to legal online sports betting, a practice that remains banned except on tribal lands.
What we know:
The Assembly is set to take up the proposal Wednesday, Nov. 19, marking the first major legislative attempt to expand sports wagering beyond casinos.
Right now, online sports betting apps don’t work in Wisconsin. But the moment someone crosses into Illinois, the same apps activate and allow bets on teams like the Packers and Bucks.
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Supporters of the bill say that gap shows how much money the state is losing to illegal or out-of-state wagering.
Under current law, online sports betting is prohibited statewide, but Native American tribes are able to offer it on their lands under compacts with the state. Casinos such as Potawatomi in Milwaukee already allow sports betting in person.
The proposal would change the rules by allowing online betting anywhere in Wisconsin – but with a major condition: the app’s computer servers would have to be located on tribal land. Sponsors say that would keep tribal sovereignty intact while giving bettors access statewide.
What they're saying:
Supporters of the bill include the Forest County Potawatomi Community, Ho-Chunk Nation, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and the Milwaukee Brewers.
They say people are illegally betting online in Wisconsin, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. They believe the tribes and the state are losing out, currently being wagered illegally.
"The government’s going to make money off it one way or the other. You might as well let them do what they want," said Philip Ange, who works at a slots' café in Illinois. "They’re not harming anyone, bet on it. It will keep more money in your state."
The other side:
Opponents include the Sports Betting Alliance, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference and Wisconsin Family Action.
Sam Krebs with Wisconsin Family Action argued the financial and social costs are too high.
"If you look at sports books nationwide, they report a profit of nearly $14 billion last year, so just to contextualize it, that’s $14 billion of lost income and money from people who participated in these sports wagers," said Krebs. "There was a study out of Northwestern that found for every 1 dollar a household spent on betting, they spent 2 dollars less on investments or savings."
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"The social costs are many, because they can lead to things like family breakdown, lost productivity, addition, bankruptcy," Krebs added.
What's next:
The bill moved quickly through an Assembly committee on a 10–0 vote, signaling bipartisan support. That could mean the odds are good that the full Assembly will pass the bill on Wednesday.
If that happens, the bill heads to the Senate and then to the governor. Even then, it would only be the beginning.
Wisconsin’s tribes would still need to renegotiate their compact with the state, which would then require federal approval.
Wisconsin sports betting; bill could expand beyond tribal casinos
A new bipartisan bill could open the door to online sports betting anywhere in Wisconsin, a minor tweak from current law that restricts it to tribal lands.
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