Wisconsin governor seeks curbs on video gambling

Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2000 | 9:38 a.m.

Last fall, Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson signed a state budget that decriminalized the possession of five or fewer video gambling machines by Wisconsin tavern owners.

Instead of facing felony charges, including a $10,000 fine and two years in prison, those bar owners now face a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 misdemeanor fine - as long as each establishment has no more than five machines.

Now, Thompson intends to propose reducing the number of machines in taverns from five to three, said Kevin Keane, the governor's executive assistant. Keane would not say when Thompson would formally propose the change.

"He recognizes they are illegal. He believes it is a fair standard to allow three of the machines as a misdemeanor, so taverns don't take advantage of the new law," Keane said.

Thompson also believes that since the machines are already commonplace throughout the state, they should be legal, so that government can regulate and tax them, Keane said.

Still, Keane said, Thompson realizes legalization will not come any time soon, because public opinion is not in favor of it yet.

Democratic Attorney General James Doyle said Tuesday that any effort to legalize video gambling machines would require a constitutional change, which would involve passage by two Legislatures and a referendum vote.

"I do not believe these games should be legalized," Doyle said.