Wisconsin online sports betting bill pulled, future uncertain
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Assembly failed to vote Wednesday on a proposal that would've moved the state one step closer to legal online sports betting.
Majority Leader Tyler August (R-Walworth) said the proposal was pulled from the agenda. There was no word on why it was pulled or whether it will be brought up in the future.
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Wisconsin sports betting
The backstory:
Under current law, online sports betting is prohibited in Wisconsin, but Native American tribes are able to offer in-person bets on their lands under compacts with the state.
The proposal would've changed the rules to allow online betting anywhere in the state, but with one major condition: the app’s computer servers would have to be located on tribal land. Sponsors said that would keep tribal sovereignty intact while giving bettors access statewide.
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.
The bill moved quickly through an Assembly committee on a 10–0 vote, signaling bipartisan support and the likelihood that it would've passed the full Assembly had it been brought up on Wednesday.
Even if the proposal had passed the Assembly, it would've had to go to the Wisconsin Senate and governor. The state's tribes would still need to renegotiate their compacts, which would require federal approval.
Support and opposition
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 said 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.
"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 and the Wisconsin Catholic Conference. Sam Krebs with Wisconsin Family Action, which also opposed the bill, 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," he said. "There was a study out of Northwestern that found for every $1 a household spent on betting, they spent $2 less on investments or savings.
"The social costs are many, because they can lead to things like family breakdown, lost productivity, addition, bankruptcy."
The Source: