A bipartisan initiative to legalize mobile sports betting across Wisconsin has successfully passed through the Legislature and is now awaiting the decision of Governor Tony Evers, following a 21-12 vote in the state Senate.
The proposed Assembly Bill 601 would allow residents to place bets via mobile devices from anywhere in the state, as long as the servers handling these transactions are situated on tribal lands. The bill garnered support from 12 Democrats and nine Republicans, while nine Republicans and three Democrats opposed it.
Now, the bill is in the hands of Governor Evers, whose stance remains unclear. He has shown some support for expanding sports betting linked to tribal agreements but expressed reluctance about the current legislative output, citing doubts about adequate backing from Wisconsin tribes.
At present, Wisconsin law restricts sports betting to in-person wagers at tribal casinos. The new legislation aims to broaden this framework by enabling tribes to provide mobile betting statewide through a “hub and spoke” model, where servers remain on tribal territory while users can access betting platforms throughout Wisconsin.
This approach aligns with a federal court-approved model utilized by the Seminole Tribe in Florida.
Democratic Senator Dianne Hesselbein remarked, “This moment signifies a collective assertion of tribal sovereignty and the preservation of exclusivity that tribes have fought for over decades.”
The bill stipulates that tribes must renegotiate their gaming compacts with the state, with final approval contingent on the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. Current compacts already permit certain tribes, such as the Oneida Nation, Forest County Potawatomi, and Ho-Chunk Nation, to offer on-site sports betting following previous amendments.
Major sportsbook operators like DraftKings and FanDuel have expressed opposition to the bill’s structure, arguing that it mandates the majority of revenue from mobile sports betting to remain with the tribes, potentially sidelining them in Wisconsin and restricting the size of the new legal market.
Republican Senator Steve Nass voiced concerns about market accessibility and competition, stating, “Competition is nil,” and warned that entities providing similar services would be excluded unless they negotiate costly agreements with tribes.
Some lawmakers have also raised questions regarding the legislative process. The Senate, which has an 18-15 Republican majority, passed the bill with a coalition that included more Democratic votes than Republican, leading to internal dissent. Nass labeled the vote a “dirty deal,” urging observers to “follow the money” as campaigns progress.
Supporters of the bill contend that mobile betting is already taking place through offshore platforms and prediction markets, and that regulation would enable the state to capture revenue while ensuring consumer protections.
Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim stated, “If we’re going to have online gambling – which we are. It already exists on the edges, behind closed doors. It’s already there. And it’s already being abused by some, and that’s not going to change. I would rather us put as many parameters around it as we can to take care of our consumers and keep the revenues [in Wisconsin].”
Additionally, several tribal governments and business organizations, including the Milwaukee Brewers, the Tavern League of Wisconsin, and regional commerce groups, support the initiative.
Opponents, however, have raised alarms about access and the potential social consequences associated with expanded digital wagering. Senator Nass remarked, “Voters didn't elect Democrats and Republicans to bring more gambling to the state of Wisconsin. In fact, public revenue built on addiction, family disintegration, and predatory practices is neither moral nor sustainable. Making gambling easier and more accessible online will only accelerate these harms.”
Republican Senator André Jacque added, “When sports betting is confined to casinos, it is bounded by location, by time, by effort. A person has to make a deliberate choice to go somewhere and eventually, to leave.”