MADISON, Wis. — A last minute change Wednesday on the Assembly floor, as Republicans pulled a bill that would allow tribal casinos to offer online sports betting in Wisconsin.
“I ​don’t ​think ​we’re ​going ​to ​vote ​on ​it ​today,” said Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August (R-Walworth). “There’s ​really ​no ​rush ​on ​this. ​The ​Senate’s ​not ​coming ​back ​this ​week. ​I ​had ​a ​conversation ​with ​a ​couple ​members ​over ​the ​weekend ​that ​brought ​up ​some ​points ​that ​I ​hadn’t ​considered ​yet. ​So ​we’re ​going ​to ​work ​through ​those ​and ​I ​expect ​that ​we’ll ​be ​voting ​on ​it ​early ​next ​year.”
The proposed bill, AB 601, would introduce a “hub and spoke” model – with the state’s tribes controlling online sports betting.
The measure received some pushback from conservative groups and other online betting companies like DraftKings and FanDuel, but August said he’s confident the bill would have passed.
Before Wednesday’s floor session began, August was asked if there were any issues with the constitutionality of the measure.
“If ​you ​talk ​to ​the attorneys, ​most ​of ​the ​constitutional ​questions that ​have ​been ​raised ​in ​the ​media ​and ​other ​places ​were ​actually ​settled ​in ​front ​of ​the ​state ​Supreme ​Court ​in ​2006. ​So ​there ​is ​no constitutional ​issue ​with ​this ​at ​all,” he said.
Several Democrats, including Governor Tony Evers and Assembly Miniority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine), have indicated they would support the bill.
“I ​plan ​to ​support ​it,” said Neubauer. “​We ​know ​that ​our ​tribes ​in ​Wisconsin ​have ​the ​right ​to ​control ​gaming ​in ​our ​state, ​and ​right ​now ​that’s ​not ​happening ​with ​online ​sports ​betting. ​So, ​I ​do ​hope ​that ​we ​pass ​a ​bill ​that ​puts ​control ​of ​that ​industry ​back ​in ​their ​hands.”
