Potawatomi Casino & Hotel CEO Dominic Ortiz is urging Gov. Tony Evers to sign legislation that would legalize online sports betting operated through Wisconsin’s tribes.

“We hope the governor will listen to all the tribes and listen to each one of them and understand this is a difficult conversation,” Ortiz told WISN 12’s “UpFront,” produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “I would say that statewide mobile sports betting is already here and already happening over the state, so we see it as a disadvantage by not being able to go together, and I believe all the tribes can come together.”

Evers hasn’t said whether he’ll sign the bill, which passed the Assembly and Senate with bipartisan support, but previously said he had concerns that not all of Wisconsin’s tribes were on board.

Eight of the state’s 11 tribes signed onto a letter sent to the Senate and Evers earlier this month urging passage of the bill.

“We continue to send our shared message that this is in the best interest of the state of Wisconsin and the tribes, and we continue to invest,” Ortiz said. “I know Potawatomi is excited to continue to invest in Milwaukee, and that’s what this can bring for us.”

Ortiz said Potawatomi would be “ready to go” if Evers signed the legislation into law.

“We are still on the other side of this and hopefully the governor signs the legislation and gives us a chance to bring the model compact and see how we can work together,” Ortiz said. “And in conjunction, we can bring that value back to Wisconsin.”

Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty says a lawsuit will be filed if Evers signs the online sports betting bill, arguing the Legislature’s act was unconstitutional.

“Whether it’s us or another group that’s out there, I certainly expect that this legislation ends up in court, absolutely,” WILL Deputy Counsel Lucas Vebber told “UpFront.” “I think simply to declare the legislation unconstitutional, I think it’s pretty clear what the Legislature did here was purport to use power that the people of Wisconsin took away from them. The Legislature can’t do that, and that would be the ask to a court here.

“Thirty years ago, the people of Wisconsin took away their power to do so,” Vebber added. “I don’t think there’s really any doubt the Legislature simply can’t pass this bill. They can’t authorize gambling in any form.”

Vebber said WILL worked to inform lawmakers of their position during the legislation session.

“We’re just in a wait-and-see mode here to see what happens,” Vebber added.

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