MADISON (WKOW) — Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill that makes online sports betting legal in Wisconsin so long as bets are made through servers located on tribal lands.
Evers signed Assembly Bill 601 Thursday afternoon.
While Evers gave the go ahead on sports betting, he acknowledged that there’s more work ahead to ensure a certain level of equality among the tribes. Contracts will also need to be ironed out with the tribes before bets are placed. That process could take several months.
“This legislation is the beginning of a conversation, not the end of one. The real work begins today,” Evers said. “Each of the 11 Tribes must now work diligently-and together-to shape the future of sports betting in Wisconsin. What I will not accept is a plan that fractures this opportunity into unequal pieces, allowing some Tribes to reap great benefits while leaving only crumbs for others. An approach that exacerbates long-standing inequalities among Tribal Nations is not good for Wisconsinites or Wisconsin. I will not entertain it as governor.”
Evers said he supports any models that “address disparities rather than exacerbate them.”
The bill had bipartisan support and the support of the federally recognized tribes of Wisconsin. The tribes sent the governor a letter on Wednesday encouraging him to sign AB 601/SB 592 into law.
Supporters of the bill say it establishes necessary regulations to protect people. Those in opposition worry that the increased access will lead to more gambling addictions in the Badger State.
The Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling estimates that between 300,000 and 350,000 people in the state have a gambling problem, though the severity varies.
National sports betting apps like DraftKings and FanDuel lobbied against the proposal.
You can read the governor’s full statement on the bill’s signing below: