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Wisconsin Assembly Shelves Tribal Online Sports Betting Bill After GOP Objections

Sponsors say they will revisit the measure next year as legal questions and industry resistance persist.

Overview

  • The bill would allow mobile wagering only when bets are processed on servers located on tribal land, tying online gambling to tribal compacts.
  • Assembly leaders pulled Wednesday’s planned vote after conservative pushback and reported objections from several Republicans reduced majority-party support below an internal threshold.
  • National sportsbook firms and the Sports Betting Alliance opposed the economics, saying a structure that could require paying at least 60% of revenue to tribes is not feasible.
  • Backers include bipartisan sponsors, multiple tribes and the Milwaukee Brewers, and Gov. Tony Evers has indicated he would likely sign a version that preserves tribal control, while the Green Bay Packers clarified they do not back the bill and urged added player-safety safeguards.
  • Supporters warn that federally regulated prediction markets could fill the gap without state revenue or oversight, and the Ho-Chunk Nation has sued Kalshi over operating in Wisconsin.