Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate remain deeply divided on a bill legalizing online sports betting in the state, leaving its future deeply uncertain.
Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature are “deeply divided” on a bill passed in the Assembly last month that would legalize online sports betting, sources tell The Heartland Post.
Senate Bill 592, which passed the Assembly on a voice vote Feb. 19 without debate, would create a narrow exemption to the state’s gambling laws. It allows mobile and online wagers only if the servers processing bets sit on tribal land — effectively handing a statewide monopoly to Wisconsin’s 11 Indian tribes under their existing compacts.
Sources indicate the GOP caucus remains deeply divided on the legislation, with nowhere near the 17 Republican votes required under the Senate’s informal “Rule of 17” to bring it to the floor. The rule, an internal tool for party unity, requires at least 17 Republican senators to support a measure before it will be brought to the Senate floor for a vote.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, though, appears determined to advance the bill before the March session ends, even if it means relying on Democratic votes and setting aside the Rule of 17.
Opponents, including major national sportsbooks, warn the tribal-only model will create monopolistic control over sports betting, deliver inferior odds to bettors, and rob state taxpayers of gambling revenue. Tribes support the bill, which would expand their reach far beyond casino floors.
