In Tuesday’s annual State of the Tribes Address at the Capitol, Mole Lake Sokoagan Chippewa Chairman Robert Van Zile called for state oversight of gaming in Wisconsin taverns.
“It’s estimated millions of dollars of taxable revenue is not collected on the estimated 60,000 gaming machines across Wisconsin,” Van Zile said.
He noted that the state’s tribes are granted gaming exclusivity under state compacts, and that tavern gaming is unregulated. “Tavern gaming machines are a glaring example of a product that is offered to Wisconsin consumers with little or no regulations and consumer protections in place. The Wisconsin tavern gaming environment is ripe for consumers to be misled and ripped off.”
VanZile also asked legislators to expand Medicaid eligibility for Native Americans and allow nurse practitioners to treat tribal patients without a physician’s supervision.
He also asked lawmakers to address PFAS, the chemicals which have contaminated water across Wisconsin, an for environmental impact study of Enbridge Line 5, an oil and gas pipeline in northern Wisconsin.