Oneida Casino sports betting, Feb. 10, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
(WTAQ-WLUK) — A bipartisan group of lawmakers have proposed a bill to legalize online sports gambling across Wisconsin.
It would allow tribal nations, like Oneida or Menomonie, to administer online sports gambling. Consumers could place bets from anywhere around the state — not just while on-site at a casino, as current law permits.
“This is something that most people have access to,” said Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim, D-Appleton, who is a co-sponsor of the bill. “It’s just correcting the bill to allow the tribes to allow people in Wisconsin to take advantage of it.”
This doesn’t necessarily allow a company like FanDuel or DraftKings into Wisconsin, but tribes could contract with them to run their services, according to Dassler-Alfheim.
“The reality is, Wisconsin is perfectly accepting of gambling,” said Dassler-Alfheim. “We know this because we have Powerball, we have scratch-off tickets, we have casinos all over the state that are full on a regular basis. So this isn’t about trying to take anything away good or bad. We want everyone to be doing things reasonably. This is about having access to something that the world has decided is something that’s fun and entertaining to them, which is the online access on sporting events. So this just allows Wisconsin to catch up with the rest of the country.”
Annual state tax revenue would increase by 10-20%, so another $6-12 million on top of the $60 million the state takes each year on gaming, according to Dassler-Alfheim.
“It’s great for the schools, it’s great for the roads, it’s great for everything,” said Dassler-Alfheim. “Again, let those dollars come back to Wisconsin and take care of our people.”
About two-thirds of the 50 U.S. states allow legal online sports betting. Right now, Wisconsinites have to go to a casino, or to Michigan, Illinois or Iowa, to place sports bets in person or online.
“We do know that when accessibility to gambling increases, there are more people who may try it than they wouldn’t have in the past,” said Rose Blozinski, executive director of the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling. “So when it becomes more easily accessible, we know that people gamble more and that then some of those people will or could become addicted.”
Of course, some Wisconsinites use a VPN or an illegal site to bet, but it still raises concerns about whether this will further open the floodgate.
“I can’t say that I think that has stopped people from gambling,” said Dr. Michael Mirer, assistant professor of communications at UW-Milwaukee. “Because people who really want to are going to do it. But you are just going to reach more people, which means more people are going to be exposed to this, which means more people are going to get into trouble, which means you’re going to need to account for that.”
It’s also more accessible for the athletes. On Thursday, NBA player Terry Rozier was arrested for accused sports gambling involvement. He’s one of over a dozen pro athletes across all four major professional sports leagues linked to illegal sports gambling involvement since the Supreme Court allowed states to legalize sports gambling in 2018, including two permanent suspensions — Tucupita Marcano in MLB and and Jontay Porter in the NBA.
“It does seem like it just creates all these avenues for greater corruption and ultimately comes down to the honor system,” said Mirer. “Listen, I think most athletes don’t want to be in a position where they’re compromising their sport, but it’s real easy to let your money get away when you’re gambling, and it’s not so easy to get out of debt.”
Dassler-Alfheim said whether or not it’s legal in Wisconsin won’t change the actions of athletes, as troubling as the scandals are, and that expanding legal access only makes it easier to monitor.
The Oneida Nation, who runs a sportsbook at its Green Bay casino, declined to interview but gave a statement.
“The Oneida Nation has been reviewing the proposed bill and have not yet finished our analysis,” said Bobbi Webster, public relations director for the Oneida Nation. “While it may seem like a good bill to support, we are obligated to carefully analyze all the potential impacts and that will take some time.”
The bill was recently submitted, so it still needs to be passed by the Assembly, Senate and governor. Dassler-Alfheim said she believes it’ll find support from Governor Tony Evers.
Comments