Chavdar Vasilev is a journalist covering the casino and sports betting market sectors for CasinoBeats. He joined CasinoBeats in May 2025 and reports on industry-shaping stories across the US and beyond, including legislative debates, market...
Read Full BioWisconsin will have to wait on online sports betting as a bill legalizing it through the state’s tribes suffered a late-stage setback after Republican leaders in the State Assembly unexpectedly removed the legislation from Tuesday’s floor calendar, citing rising conservative opposition and fresh legal concerns.
Bill Would Bring Online Sports Betting Via Tribes
The proposal, Assembly Bill 601, sought to change Wisconsin’s model of in-person-only sports betting. It would allow users to place mobile bets anywhere in the state via servers located on tribal land.
The model, often called “hub-and-spoke,” mirrors the mechanism in Florida. There, through a gaming compact, the Seminole Tribe controls all mobile sports betting through tribal servers, a system that has survived multiple court challenges.
Supporters in Madison have repeatedly cited that precedent as evidence that Wisconsin’s version would hold up under federal law.
Under AB 601, tribes would control mobile wagering through gaming compacts. Commercial operators could still participate via tribal partnerships. Lawmakers previously adjusted the bill to specify that “the server or other device used to conduct the bet is located on tribal lands,” reinforcing its IGRA-based structure.
If enacted, the tribes would have to renegotiate their gaming compacts with the state. Additionally, the federal government would need to approve it.
Supporters argued the bill would modernize Wisconsin’s limited wagering market while preserving the sovereignty of the state’s 11 tribal nations.
Why Vote was Pulled
Previously, Assembly leadership had indicated that there were enough Republican votes (which control the chamber) to pass the measure. Democrats have also indicated that they would support the measure.
However, Majority Leader Tyler August, before the scheduled vote, stated that there’s no rush on it, especially since the Senate is not taking it by January 2026.
“I had a conversation with a couple [of] members over the weekend that brought up some points I hadn’t considered yet, so we’re going to work through those,” he said.
August added that if the Assembly were to vote on the bill, it would pass.
According to the same reporting, some conservative lawmakers expressed concern about expanding gambling access through mobile apps. Meanwhile, others questioned whether the tribal-server model complies with Wisconsin’s constitutional restrictions on gambling and with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), listed in state lobbying records as “undisclosed,” had also circulated a memo raising constitutional questions about the legislation. That pressure likely contributed to leadership’s decision to pause.
Lobbying Landscape: Who’s For & Against It
Public lobbying disclosures filed in early November show a broad mix of supporters and opponents weighing in on AB 601:
Supporters included:
- Association of Wisconsin Tourism Attractions (notified 11/4/2025)
- Forest County Potawatomi Community (10/30/2025)
- Ho-Chunk Nation (11/3/2025)
- Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (11/4/2025)
- Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club (10/31/2025)
- North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters (11/3/2025)
These groups broadly framed the proposal as an economic development opportunity — particularly the tourism and labor interests. Meanwhile, tribes supported the compact-based framework that preserved their control over gaming.
Opposition included:
- Sports Betting Alliance (10/31/2025)
- Stockbridge-Munsee Community (11/15/2025)
- Wisconsin Catholic Conference (11/13/2025)
- Wisconsin Family Action Inc. (11/10/2025)
Undisclosed:
- Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (11/14/2025)
The Sports Betting Alliance, representing major sportsbook operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel, opposed the bill because it claims the bill mandates a 60% minimum revenue share for tribes if they partner with commercial operators. The trade group says that would make Wisconsin unattractive to major brands.
Social-conservative groups objected on moral grounds, arguing the measure would expand gambling too broadly. The Stockbridge-Munsee tribe, meanwhile, has historically resisted compacts or legislation that may allow other tribes to expand gaming in ways perceived as market-distorting.
What’s Next
The bill is not dead, but it is effectively shelved until at least 2026. This will give stakeholders more time to renegotiate the language, review the Florida precedent more closely, and test whether additional safeguards or revenue-sharing adjustments are necessary.
Lawmakers will also likely revisit whether commercial operators should receive limited access, whether the tribal-hub model can satisfy constitutional critics, and what regulatory guardrails are necessary to address concerns around mobile availability.
For now, Wisconsin remains among the handful of states without online sports betting. The path to changing that will require resolving the political, legal, and tribal-sovereignty tensions that derailed AB 601 this week.
