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New bill would legalize online sports betting in Wisconsin
A new bipartisan bill would allow Wisconsin residents to place sports bets online through tribal servers.
MILWAUKEE - 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.
What we know:
Right now, the state constitution only allows betting at tribal casinos, like Potawatomi in Milwaukee. Lawmakers say their proposal would create a framework to get around that rule.
State lawmakers from both sides of the aisle introduced the proposal last week.
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"I’m sure gambling knows no political line," said Rep. Robert Wittke (R–District 63).
Wittke and Rep. Christine Sinicki (D–District 20) are among those backing the bill, saying it would make betting more transparent and easier to regulate.
"The people that are gambling online right now, they are going to continue to gamble. And it’s actually going to make it easier to regulate," Wittke said.
Sinicki agreed, pointing out the legislation doesn’t create a new behavior but legalizes what already exists.
"What this does is it legalizes online betting. Which is currently going on now – but illegally," Sinicki said.
Dig deeper:
Under the bill, players could place bets from their own homes so long as the wagers are routed through tribal servers – a "hub and spoke" modeled after Florida’s system, which survived legal challenges.
"I could be sitting in my house, placing a bet online," Sinicki explained. "As long as that server is on tribal land and going to that server through the tribes – it’s legal."
Wittke added that other states are already reaping the benefits.
"The states around us already have a plan in place. So why wouldn’t we join in on that and legalize it and make it more transparent," he said.
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Lawmakers say it’s a win-win, with both tribes and the state seeing additional revenue.
"Win for the tribes, they are going to get a little bit more money out of it, our percentage that we get – the state will get more money out of it," Sinicki said.
What's next:
The bill was just introduced and must first move through committee hearings before it can advance.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.