Wisconsin Bill Proposes Statewide Mobile Sports Betting Through Tribal Servers

The Bare-Bones Legislative Mechanism

SB 592 is described as a “bare-bones piece of legislation” that introduces only one key requirement to change existing state law.

The central provision of SB 592 legalizes an online sports bet in Wisconsin only if the server or other device used to conduct the wager is physically located on federally recognized tribal lands. All betting must still comply with the existing gaming compacts between a tribe and the state.

The current law classifies placing a bet as a Class B misdemeanor. SB 592 exempts a mobile or electronic bet from this definition if it meets two criteria: the server must be on tribal lands, and the wager must be conducted under a gaming compact established before April 1, 1993, under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.

The Hub and Spoke Model

The operating mechanism proposed by the bill is similar to the legal model used in Florida. In that state, the Seminole Tribe has exclusive rights to mobile sports betting, which is legally considered to take place on their lands.

Under SB 592, Wisconsin residents could place wagers from their own homes, provided the bets are routed through tribal-based servers. Representative Christine Sinicki explained the effect: “I could be sitting in my house, placing a bet online… As long as that server is on tribal land and going to that server through the tribes – it’s legal.”

Legal Context and Next Steps

The bill does not authorize gambling on its own. Instead, it is a crucial component in a multi-step process needed to fully establish a legal framework for tribal mobile sports betting. Full implementation will still require federal approval of the revised gaming compacts by the U.S. Department of Interior.

SB 592 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue and is currently awaiting further legislative action.