Wisconsin One Step Closer to Online Sports Betting After Senate Approval
Wisconsin could soon see legal and regulated online sports betting after the state Senate approved a new bill on Tuesday. Now on its way to the governor’s desk, the bill awaits the signature of Gov. Tony Evers.
The vote reflected bipartisan support, with 12 Democrats and 9 Republicans backing the bill. State Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim, the Democratic senator representing the Appleton area, voted in favor of the bill, saying, “I would rather us put as many parameters around it as we can to take care of our consumers and keep the revenue in with the family of our local tribes who are also sharing back with the state.”
However, 9 Republicans and 3 Democrats opposed the bill, including State Sen. Andre Jacque, a Republican senator representing the New Franken area, who raised concerns about the source of potential revenue.
Jacque said, “Proponents will point to revenue, but we must be honest about what that means. Those revenues do not appear out of thin air. They come from losses, often concentrated among those who can least afford them.”
The Wisconsin Constitution requires all legal gambling to be operated by the Badger State’s 11 tribes. If signed into law, the legislation would limit online sports betting to servers located on tribal property.
Several tribal leaders have publicly supported the bill, with Nicole Boyd, Chairwoman of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, highlighting its benefits during the recent State of the Tribes address. Still, several leading sports betting operators, like FanDuel and DraftKings, have voiced their opposition.
Gov. Evers has signaled that he is likely to sign the bill as long as tribal support remains, although he has noted that not every Wisconsin tribe is on board with regulated online sports betting.
- The Wisconsin Senate has approved a bill that would legalize online sports betting. It now awaits Gov. Tony Evers’ signature.
- While 9 Republicans and 3 Democrats opposed the bill, it passed with support from 12 Democrats and 9 Republicans.
- The bill would limit online sports betting servers to tribal lands, as per the Wisconsin Constitution.
