State unlikely to change its sports betting rules
A landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday that could lead many states to legalize betting on college and professional sports is not expected to have any immediate impact in Wisconsin.
“Sports gaming is prohibited by the Wisconsin Constitution, state law and is not allowed under the state-tribal compacts,” Steven Michels, state Department of Administration spokesperson, said in an email after the court ruling that allows states to legalize sports betting. “Today’s Supreme Court ruling does not affect Wisconsin law.”
A source with ties to Wisconsin tribes, however, said those hurdles could be overcome, if a tribe wanted to offer sports betting and the state was open to the idea. Each of Wisconsin’s 11 tribes operates at least one casino.
“Tribes don’t need a constitutional change, (they) just need an amendment to the gaming compacts,” the source said, noting that tribal casinos were permitted after the state constitution was amended in 1993 to ban new gambling.
But, the source said, persuading the state to negotiate with the tribes could be a difficult political task. The state would only be required to renegotiate the compacts to allow sports betting if the statepermitted nontribal entities to take bets on sporting events.
“The court’s decision to lift the federal ban on sports betting restores the states’ ability to establish their own priorities and no longer allows a law to stand that favors one state over all others,” said Johnny Koremenos, a spokesman for Attorney General Brad Schimel. “This decision gives the Wisconsin State Legislature the power to make legislative decisions concerning sports betting.”
In the case decided Monday, justices ruled 6-3 that a 25-year-old federal law that has effectively prohibited sports betting outside Nevada by forcing states to keep prohibitions on the books is unconstitutional. The ruling could set the stage for other states to expand legalized gambling as a source of government revenue.
Justice Samuel Alito, a New Jersey native, wrote the court’s opinion. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissented, and Justice Stephen Breyer said the law could survive without a stricken provision.
It was a victory for the state’s recently departed governor, Chris Christie, who had challenged the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, passed by Congress in 1992 to preserve the integrity of the nation’s most popular sports. He and other proponents sought the ruling in order to help the state’s ailing casinos and racetracks.