Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos revealed lawmakers are still pushing to legalize online sports betting in the state, noting legislation is likely to get an upcoming vote, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Key Takeaways
- Wisconsin Republican Robin Vos pointed to the possibility of an upcoming Assembly vote on the legalization of online sports betting.
- A prior push to legalize online sports betting stalled in November.
- A proposed bill would allow people to place online bets if the device is located on tribal land.
Vos said last week that Governor Tony Evans would “likely” sign Assembly Bill 601 if it remains in support of the state’s tribal nations. The legislation previously stalled in the legislature in November before a scheduled vote in the Wisconsin State Assembly.
The bill would have allowed all the state’s federally recognized tribes to permit online sports betting on their land, as state gaming compacts with the 11 tribes mean only they can offer gambling in the state.
However, critics of the legislation, including major sports betting operators DraftKings and FanDuel, argued against the feasibility for public operators, noting tribes would receive 60% of revenue generated. More pushback came from anti-gambling advocates, including the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, which said the bill presented major “constitutional issues.”
Vos acknowledged the criticism of having only tribes offer sports betting but admitted that is just "the way it is” and can't be changed. He added there are legitimate concerns associated with the legalization of sports betting in Wisconsin, including the inclusion of micro-betting, which has led to numerous recent scandals in the gambling industry.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account“I do believe in the end, we’ll have a vote on the floor, but we just have to work through some of the concerns that people have,” he said.
Georgia tourism committee recommends sports betting
Wisconsin is not the only state to have pondered the legalization of sports betting in recent months.
Georgia has made multiple attempts to legalize sports betting, with each attempt failing. However, last month, the Senate tourism study committee included a proposal to allow sports betting in a bid to boost the state’s appeal.
The report, named the “Final Report of the Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism,” suggested the state should legalize sports betting as a way to increase tourism. It cites North Carolina as an example of the revenue impact sports betting can have, noting the state allocates funds generated from sports betting toward ventures aimed at increasing tourism.
With Atlanta being one of the host cities for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, the committee pointed to the possibility of additional revenue that could be generated.
The proposal has had little impact on lawmakers, however, with sports betting enthusiasts in the state continuing to wait for an indication that sports betting may become legal.
