Majority of Wisconsin Tribes support online sports betting

• Clearing the Wisconsin Senate recently, a bill legalizing mobile sports betting in the state awaits the signature of Gov. Tony Evers
• A majority of the Native American Tribes in Wisconsin expressed support for the legalization of online betting
• Out of all of Wisconsin's neighbors, only Minnesota doesn't offer sports betting

Wisconsin has never been closer to legal online sports betting. Yet the legalization and launch of the activity remain contingent on the signature of Gov. Tony Evers.

Considering that online sports betting is at the final stretch in Wisconsin, the potential legalization enjoys overwhelming support from Native American Tribes.

Mobile betting in Wisconsin is one signature away

Under Assembly Bill 601 (AB601), filed late last year, Native American Tribes would be permitted to offer online sports betting.

However, the proposal sets clear rules, requiring the servers for the activity to be physically located on Tribal land, in order for the Tribes to offer state-wide online and mobile betting.

Making its way through the legislature, AB601 successfully passed the Wisconsin Senate last week.

As a result, the proposal landed on the desk of Gov. Evers, where it seeks another signature before it can become a law.

Now, according to a report on Thursday, an overwhelming majority of the Native American Tribes in Wisconsin expressed their support for the legalization of online sports betting.

As announced by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, out of 11 Tribes in the state, eight agreed with the legalization of mobile betting.

In a letter, the Tribes explained: "Our nations share a collective mission of working to strengthen tribal sovereignty, maintaining the tribal nations' role as the primary operators and regulators of gaming in Wisconsin, and accomplishing a framework with mobile sports betting that benefits all Wisconsin tribes."

While eight out of 11 Tribes support the expansion of gambling activities with the addition of online sports betting, the position of the remaining three is yet to be confirmed.

Wisconsin may join the growing number of states offering mobile sports wagering

To legalize online betting on sports in Wisconsin, AB601 establishes a framework that permits Tribes to accept bets from across the state as long as the servers for the activity are on Indian lands.

The proposal, which may soon become a law, also demands that Tribal operators adhere to the established state compacts, too.

If Wisconsin legalizes sports betting, it will join a growing list of U.S. states that already offer mobile betting.

Equally as important, nearly all of Wisconsin's neighboring states currently offer both retail and online sports betting and those are Michigan, Illinois and Iowa.

The sole exception to a state that borders Wisconsin and doesn't offer betting is Minnesota.

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