A new Wisconsin bill is seeking to break away from the tribal monopoly on gambling in the state by expanding operations to online sports betting. The idea is to have sportsbooks available anywhere in the state, allowing gamblers to place a flutter on the go, no matter where they are.
However, this would require a significant effort, as the state currently restricts gambling to tribal land only.
Tribes to benefit from new online sports betting legalization push
Tribes have also been included in Senate Bill 592, with any online sports betting that would be taking place in Wisconsin, as online traffic will be filtered through servers based on tribal lands. This potentially removes another obstacle towards legalization – tribal pushback.
However, backers of the bill, including Rep. Robert Wittke, have said that the measure would create a more transparent and better-regulated industry that would ultimately benefit everyone.
The measure is also backed by both Republicans and Democrats, as gambling has generally been a rare opportunity for the two parties to work together without bringing political divides and faultlines into the discussion.
Wittke argued that the new bill was necessitated because of the way consumers interacted with gambling products – many would turn to online options that were not legal in Wisconsin but continued to generate revenue anyway.
Rep. Christine Sinicki was similarly confident about the measure, arguing that it would legalize online betting, which is already happening in offshore and black markets.
Problem gambling will always affect some people, the bill sponsor says
Sinicki also sees the legalization of online sports gambling as a step forward, as it would allow individuals greater freedom in placing wagers whenever and wherever they choose.
"I could be sitting in my house, placing a bet online. As long as that server is on tribal land and going to that server through the tribes, it’s legal," Sinicki said. Sinicki has described the measure as a win-win for the state and tribes.
Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim, one of the sponsors of the bill who introduced it to the Senate, argued that fears about problem gambling were justified in part, but that in any case, there would always be people who struggle with gambling.
