Oneida, Ho-Chunk Tribes Not Ready To Gamble On Sports Betting In Wisconsin
If you were betting on Wisconsin to legalize sports wagering in light of the Supreme Court ruling, you may come up empty-handed. While state officials do see the state headed toward legalization, Native American Tribes are in no rush to expand their gambling portfolios.
The justices of the High Court voted 7-2 in favor of striking down the federal ban on sports wagering, which previously limited full-scale wagering to the state of Nevada. Delaware was restricted to accepting NFL parlays, while Oregon and Montana chose not to have an active sports lottery.
The rest of the 46 states were prohibited from offering any type of sports gambling, resulting in the state of New Jersey to challenge the constitutionality of the law that implemented the ban – the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.
In ruling the law unconstitutional, the Court opened the door for Wisconsin and states across the nation to legalize sports betting.
“I like the idea that 50 states get to make their own decision based on elected officials, who are closer to the people, than members of Congress,” stated Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
Vos goes on to say that the decision will not cause any changes overnight to the current gambling laws in the state, and tribal casino stakeholders in the state agree with the sentiment.
The Oneida Tribe, one of eleven tribal interests in the state, is not yet ready to disclose which direction they see their gaming facilities going in. The tribe has casinos in Ashwaubenon and Green Bay, along with slot machines inside of “One Stop” convenience stores.
“The decision just came down, and we're trying to wrap our minds around it," stated Phil Wisneski, spokesman for the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. "Leadership has been talking about it, trying to figure out the potential impacts."
Ho-Chunk Nation is another tribe in the state that will be presumably slow-acting on the push for sports betting. Collin Price, the tribe's public-information officer, stated that the tribe is not pursuing any changes to their state-tribal agreement at this time.
"Should our leadership determine to explore sports betting," said Price, "we will work collaboratively with Wisconsin's legislative leadership to further the discussion."
Ho-Chunk owns gaming facilities in Wittenberg, Black River Falls, Nekoosa, Tomah, and Wisconsin Dells. With sports wagering accounting for about 5% of Nevada’s total gaming revenue, tribes with multiple casino locations would stand to generate a sizeable contribution.
Though the tribes are not ready to take the risk on sports gambling in the near future, lawmakers remain open-minded when it comes to discussing the possibilities. Tribes and policymakers agree that the decision on whether to permit sports betting in Wisconsin will come after careful consideration.
“While there appears to be a growing interest in expanding legal opportunities for sports-related gaming, the state should act carefully and thoughtfully as we consider changes as a result of the Supreme Court action,” stated Representative Peter Barca, D-Kenosha. “Any change should involve a broad coalition of citizens and civic and law enforcement in the debate on the appropriate approach for our state at this time.”
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