Wisconsin Sports Betting
Legal Wisconsin sports betting began in 2021 after tribal gaming operators began renegotiating their gaming compacts with the state to authorize retail sportsbooks at casinos. Multiple Wisconsin sportsbooks are open to the public today, and more will follow suit soon.
Currently, legal sports betting in Wisconsin is limited to bets placed in-person at authorized casinos. Lawmakers will need to pass additional legislation to legalize online sportsbooks.
Other legal Wisconsin online betting options include daily fantasy sports apps and horse racing betting sites. Additionally, fans in southern Wisconsin can head to Iowa, Illinois, or Michigan to place sports wagers online via licensed mobile betting apps.
In-person gambling options consist of tribal casinos, the state lottery, and charitable gaming.
Legal Wisconsin Betting Sites
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21+ and present in WI. T&Cs Apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-426-2535.
How Wisconsin Legalized Sports Betting
Sports betting in Wisconsin was legalized in mid-2021 via amendments to states gaming compact with the Oneida Nation.
The amendments cleared the tribe to install retail sportsbooks in Wisconsin on tribal land and accept mobile wagers from patrons physically located on casino property. Sportsbooks may accept wagers on amateur and collegiate events, excluding games involving Wisconsin colleges.
The Department of the Interior (DOI) approved the amended gaming compact, and Wisconsin’s first retail sportsbook at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay.
The St. Croix Chippewa Indians signed a similar agreement in the final days of 2021 to offer retail sports betting at their casinos. The Potawatomi Nation and Sokaogon Chippewa Community have also signed amended gaming compacts with the state to open sportsbooks.
Wisconsin Sports Betting Locations
Wisconsin is home to several retail sportsbooks, and more are on the way. Multiple tribal gaming operators have signed amended gaming agreements with the state to offer sports betting on tribal property.
Soon, Wisconsin will be home to a competitive land-based sports betting industry. However, online sports betting in Wisconsin will remain limited to patrons physically located on casino grounds until Wisconsin legalizes statewide online wagering.
- (gaming compact signed; waiting for sportsbook)
The Sportsbook At Oneida Casino
The Oneida Nation took the state’s first legal sports wager near the end of 2021 at Oneida Casino.
The sportsbook at Oneida Casino features 20 self-serve kiosks, a staffed betting window, couch seating, and plenty of TVs.
Oneida Sportsbook Hours:
- Betting Kiosks open daily from 8 AM to 4 AM
- Monday-Thursday: 10 AM – 11 PM
- Friday-Sunday: 10 AM – 12 AM
- Packers Home Game Days: 9 AM – 12 AM
In addition, bettors can use the Oneida Sportsbook app to place wagers while physically present at the following Oneida properties:
- IMAC Casino in Green Bay
- W. Mason Casino in Green Bay
- HWY 54 One-Stop in Oneida
- Four Paths One-Stop in Green Bay
- Westwind One-Stop in Green Bay
- Packerland Casino One-Stop in Green Bay
- HWY 29 Travel Center Casino in Pulaski
- Oneida One-Stop E & EE in Oneida
- Larsen One-Stop in Green Bay
St. Croix Turtle Lake Sportsbook
“The Book” at St. Croix Casino Turtle Lake is open daily from 7 AM to 3 AM and features a full food and drink menu until 10 PM every day. The St. Croix sportsbook hosts regular watch parties for major events, with drink specials and other perks on offer.
St. Croix Danbury Sportsbook
The Red Zone at St. Croix Casino Danbury offers in-person wagering and dining every day from 3 PM to 11 PM. Red Zone guests can place their wagers at four self-serve betting kiosks and watch the games on any of seven HD TVs.
Potawatomi Casino Sportsbook In Milwaukee
The Potawatomi sportsbook brought sports betting to Milwaukee when it launched.
Bettors in Milwaukee can visit the sportsbook at Potawatomi Casino 24 hours a day to place wagers via 17 self-serve betting kiosks. The permanent sportsbook will replace the Northern Lights Theater and provide staffed teller windows, a full-service bar, LED TVs, and more.
The Potawatomi Nation secured rights to offer sports betting at its casinos in Milwaukee and Carter by signing with the governor in February 2022. However, the Potawatomi Nation hasn’t announced what plans it has for sports betting at its Carter property.
Potawatomi Sportsbook Hours:
- Self-serve sports betting kiosks open 24/7
Gametime Sportsbook At Mole Lake Casino
The Mole Lake Casino sportsbook features more than two dozen HD TVs, a full bar, several staffed teller windows and half a dozen self-serve betting kiosks.
Mole Lake Casino Sportsbook Hours:
- 8 AM to 2 AM seven days a week
DraftKings Sportsbook At Lake of the Torches Casino
DraftKings operates a betting counter and half a dozen self-serve kiosks on the gaming floor of Lake of the Torches Casino in Lac du Flambeau.
When Will Other Wisconsin Tribes Open Sportsbooks?
Wisconsin’s 11 gaming tribes have individual compacts with the state and need to negotiate sports betting agreements individually. But this negotiation won’t start from square one every time.
In Wisconsin, the last compact agreement becomes the new normal for everyone that follows. As such, every tribe can amend its contract with the state, and while they can negotiate for more than the Oneidas (in-state college sports, for example), the state cannot offer them less.
The St. Croix Chippewa were quick to jump on the opportunity and quickly launched two sportsbooks at their properties.
The Ho-Chunk Nation also says it also plans to launch retail sportsbooks at multiple properties if it can renegotiate its gaming compact. The Ho-Chunk Nation operates six casinos in Wisconsin.
The 11 gaming tribes and links to their current gaming compacts can be found below:
- ?
Wisconsin Sports Betting Apps
Mobile sports betting in Wisconsin is limited to on-premises betting apps. Oneida Casino launched the first online sports betting app in Wisconsin, but it is only available to customers physically present on casino property.
The path to full-fledged, statewide, legal online sports betting in Wisconsin is complicated for two reasons.
First, as from the Legislative Reference Bureau notes, Article IV, Section 24 of the Wisconsin Constitution prohibits the legislature from legalizing new forms of gambling. As a result, legalizing online sports betting in Wisconsin requires a constitutional amendment.
Amending the constitution to authorize online sportsbooks in Wisconsin would involve approving a bill in the Assembly and Senate across two consecutive legislative sessions. After that, voters would need to approve the amendment via a statewide referendum.
Something else lawmakers must consider is that amending Constitution and not giving tribes exclusivity over sports betting would free them of their obligations to make exclusivity payments to the state. In normal years, those payments tend to total more than $30 million per year.
As a result, tribal considerations will significantly determine how Wisconsin legalizes sports betting apps and online sportsbooks.
Wisconsin Daily Fantasy Sports
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All major daily fantasy sports sites operate in Wisconsin, but the state has never passed legislation to regulate DFS contests. Wisconsin daily fantasy sports sites exist in a legal grey area as a result, but some have operated for over a decade without any issue. That means fans have access to a wide range of fantasy sports apps in Wisconsin and may play for real money without any legal concerns.
Fans can read more about the current state of the Wisconsin fantasy sports market and see BettingUSA’s most recommended DFS apps below:
Wisconsin Horse Racing Betting
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Online horse racing betting is legal but unregulated in Wisconsin. That means bettors must carefully select where to bet on horse races online in Wisconsin to ensure their private information and funds are protected. Fortunately, numerous horse racing betting sites licensed in other states are available to Wisconsin residents 18 or older.
See BettingUSA’s Wisconsin horse racing guide below for more information:
Wisconsin Gambling Laws
Wisconsin gambling laws consist of a broad definition of gambling. Chapter 945 of the state’s statutes defines a bet as:
“a bargain in which the parties agree that, dependent upon chance even though accompanied by some skill, one stands to win or lose something of value specified in the agreement.”
This definition could be applied to all conceivable forms of gambling due to chance being inherent in even the most skill-heavy games. However, the statute and other laws provide explicit exceptions to the definition. These exceptions include fantasy sports betting, parimutuel wagering, charity bingo, raffles, regulated lotteries, authorized tribal casinos, and commodity exchanges.
Whether or not this definition of gambling in Wisconsin includes poker is still up for debate. A good argument could be made that because poker includes the use of cards drawn at random, it includes an element of chance and is therefore illegal. The counterargument would be that all games and sporting events include some element of chance but skill is the only determinant of winners and losers over the long term.
Furthermore, anyone who places a bet commits a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Wisconsin also considers it an offense to participate in the “business” of gambling. This is defined as a Class I felony punishable by a maximum of 3 ½ years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Wisconsin Sports Betting FAQ
Wes Burns has more than a decade’s worth of experience as a writer, researcher and analyst in the legal gambling industry and is co-founder of ycgts.shop. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.