Wisconsin stands pat as other states legalize sports betting

There is a lot of money to be made, if Wisconsin would just legalize it. No, we’re not talking about marijuana, but sports betting. The Supreme Court cleared the way for states to legalize sports gambling, ending Nevada’s monopoly. Some states quickly rushed in to pass laws legalizing gambling in their state. New Jersey did, and just in the month of March, sports books there took in $375 million in bets, $31 million of which went to the state. That is a lot of money, and it is a safe bet Wisconsin could see similar numbers. After all, Wisconsinites love their teams, enough to put their money where their mouths are. But our lawmakers seem to be staying on the sidelines on this issue. There has been no legislation introduced in Madison seeking to legalize sports betting in the Badger state. That is despite the fact that some estimate legalizing sports gambling in Wisconsin could generate $340 million a year. That would fill a lot of potholes. Legalizing sports gambling in Wisconsin wouldn’t necessarily be as easy as it is for other states. The Wisconsin Constitution prohibits sports gambling. Changing the Constitution isn’t easy. It would have to pass through two consecutive sessions of the Legislature, and then would have to be approved by voters in a statewide referendum. But that won’t happen until some lawmaker starts the process by introducing legislation. There is just too much money out there to ignore any longer.