- Two Wisconsin online sports betting bills advanced out of their respective committees.
- Assembly Bill 601 is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 19 after being forwarded to the Committee on Rules, and Senate Bill 592 has yet to be scheduled.
- Key framework from both bills create conflict with major entities, such as the Sports Betting Alliance and local tribes.
MADISON, Wisc. – Legislation for Wisconsin online sportsbooks continue to roll with Assembly Bill 601 (WI AB 601) and Senate Bill 592 (WI SB 592) both advancing out of committees. The bills would provide locally-regulated Wisconsin online sportsbooks through the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) and partnership with local tribes.
Representative Tyler August’s WI AB 601 and Senator Howard L. Marklein’s WI SB 592 would allow Wisconsin tribes to offer online sports betting through a hub-and-spoke model, the same system that the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe utilized to bring online sports betting to the Sunshine State. While both bills experienced early success, the framework of each bill faces pushback from key groups.
Sports Betting Alliance, Local WI Tribes Make It Complicated
A major question surrounding sports betting revenue sharing between local tribes and sports betting operators can halt the progression of these bills. Since they are trying to pass through the route of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, operators must give at least 60% of their revenue to the tribes.
This poor business model is already raising question from Sports Betting Alliance representative Damon Stewart. During the hearing for SB 592, Stewart explained to listeners that the market can’t be financially feasible with this model, and without that success, there will be no operators that want to join the state.
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This obviously raises a big issue in the progress of the bill as the Sports Betting Alliance represents the biggest online sportsbooks in the country like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and more. If no Sports Betting Alliance members are willing to enter, then the Wisconsin sports betting market won’t be competitive nor beneficial for the state.
The next step for the bills is Wednesday, Nov. 19 when the Committee of Rules will have their hearing for AB 601. Senate Bill 592 hasn’t been assigned to a new committee at the time of writing, but the bill was successfully voted out of the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue earlier this month.
Zach graduated from Florida State University after majoring in Writing, Editing, and Media with a minor in Communication. He has a passion for sports betting and specializes in DFS for NFL, NBA, and MLB. At the casino, you can find Zach playing blackjack or roulette.
