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The legislation would allow online betting through apps connected to computer servers on tribal land
Chris WilsonFriday 21 November 2025 08:00 GMT
(AP)The Wisconsin Assembly has postponed a scheduled vote on a proposed sports betting bill that would extend the state’s current betting laws to allow online betting through apps.
Majority leader Tyler August said “the proposal was pulled from the agenda” but there was no word on the reason why, or if and when the bill will be brought up in the future, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee.
Wisconsin is not currently one of the US states that has permitted widespread use of online sportsbooks.
The state’s current sports betting laws only allow in-person wagering at tribal casinos, though the proposed bill would extend laws to allow online betting through apps that are connected to computer servers on tribal land.
The bill had received bipartisan support and moved quickly through an Assembly committee on a 10–0 vote previously, though even with approval from the full Assembly it would need to go to the Wisconsin Senate and governor.
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Republican representative Adam Neylon, of Pewaukee, opposes the online expansion due to concerns about gambling addiction, explaining: "If you want to play the lottery, you do it with cash on location. We don't put it on people's phones and make it super easy to do.
“I think that we currently have a regulated system where if you do want to have sports betting, you can go to the casinos, you can place a sports bet. So I think expanding it and putting a casino on your phone is a bad deal for Wisconsin," he told TMJ4.
Conversely, Milwaukee Democrat Kalan Haywood, who helped write the bill, put the emphasis on consumer protections and potential revenue generation.
“Wisconsinites who participate in sports wagering will have consumer protections. That's one that's huge for us," Haywood said.
"It will help generate revenue again to support those essential services like roads, like healthcare, like public safety. So I think those are two huge things for us.”
Nevertheless, Haywood added that the priority is “solving this gray area, not allowing for folks to come in, operate in this great legal space, but at the same time, being current with the times, make sure we're protecting Wisconsin consumers but also supporting our tribes."
The bill is expected to return for a floor vote next year, according to reporting from TMJ4’s Charles Benson.
