Legislation in Wisconsin is paving the way for the Native American tribes to run online sports betting. The companion bills AB 601 and SB 592 would allow wagers to be placed anywhere in Wisconsin, provided the betting servers are housed on tribal lands.
Under the current law, sports bets can only be made in person at tribal casinos. The proposed legislation would open up online access, with the tribes controlling the servers and revenue. Currently, Wisconsin has no laws regarding “fantasy” sports betting.
These are formats typically used by websites such as PrizePicks and Underdog, who offer statistical lines on various competitive events. The bettor selects the over or under on the lines provided, and then the odds increase the more components (legs) are added. (RELATED: American Family Field Parking Lots Could See Renovations And Improvements)
There are some serious concerns and criticisms about this law. A legal analysis by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) argues the legislation would violate the Wisconsin Constitution’s gambling prohibition and create a race-based monopoly by giving exclusive online rights to tribes.
Former Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says the bill is being rushed through the legislature, with little public discussion, and questions whether the monopoly model will attract major national sportsbook operators.
Experts also worry about are social concerns. An Noah Henderson, the director of the sport management program at Loyola-Chicago worries that mobile sports betting, accessible anytime and anywhere from a phone, could increase problem gambling, especially among young men.
Proponents of the bill are trying to ram it through the Senate, while another bill that prevents the abusive power of Pharmacy Benefit Managers lays dormant in the docket. Vicki McKenna says that Native American lobbyists want to push this through as quickly as possible.
She believes this is challenged in the courts, the Democratic justices will side with them. The Tribes have also had lobbyists who have promised large donations to republican legislators if they vote yes on the bill. (RELATED: Wisconsin DOT Traffic Study Shows Delays, Congestion Risks if I-794 Freeway Is Removed)