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Assembly Approves Tribal Sports Betting via Voice Vote
Wisconsin may be on its way to more sports gambling.
The Wisconsin Assembly on Thursday quickly approved the plan to allow the state’s tribes to open online sports gambling services. The vote was a voice vote, and it was controversial.
Voice votes do not take a rollcall, and voters at home will never know how their representatives voted.
The ‘ayes’ carried the vote, but you could hear several lawmakers vociferously yell “no” during the vote.
Many lawmakers don’t like the plan. They fear giving the tribes a monopoly, and they fear the social ills of more gambling.
Gov. Tony Evers has said he will sign the plan.
"That has to be the ultimate goal. That the tribal nations of the state are the ones that deal with gambling,” the governor said weeks ago.
But it remains to be seen what the State Senate will do. The top Republican in the Senate last week said he’s not sure if he can find the votes to pass it.
"I think from a policy standpoint, it makes sense," Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said. "I don't know if we can get it across the finish line."
Wisconsin currently allows people to bet on sports, but only at sportsbooks in the state’s casinos. The new proposal would allow people to place bets on games through servers that are connected to tribal casinos. That would allow more people across the state to place bets.
Gambling is already big business in Wisconsin. The latest state report shows that the state’s tribal casinos sent $66 million to the state in revenue sharing payments. The tribe’s casinos sent another $8 million to local governments across the state.
The online sports betting plan is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate next month.
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