Wisconsin Legalizes Online Sports Betting

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has signed a bill into law that legalizes online sports betting in the state, making it the 33rd state to allow the practice. However, gamblers in Wisconsin will have to wait months or even longer before they can start legally placing bets, as the law requires the state to negotiate new deals with the 11 American Indian tribes that would run the sports betting operations.

Why it matters

The legalization of online sports betting in Wisconsin represents a significant shift in the state's gambling landscape, which has been limited to tribal casinos. This new law opens up opportunities for tribes to generate additional revenue, but also raises concerns about potential impacts on problem gambling and the need to ensure an equitable approach among the tribes.

The details

The new Wisconsin law requires that the infrastructure to manage sports bets, such as computer servers, be located on tribal lands in the state. This 'hub-and-spoke' model is already used in Florida. Under the tribal compacts, a percentage of the money tribes earn through gambling is returned to the state, which in 2024 amounted to just over $66 million.

• On April 9, 2026, Governor Tony Evers signed the bill legalizing online sports betting in Wisconsin.
• The law requires the state to negotiate new deals with the 11 American Indian tribes that would run the sports betting operations, a process that could take months or longer.

What’s next

The 11 federally recognized tribes in Wisconsin must now negotiate deals with the state to implement the new online sports betting law. The process could take months or longer before gamblers in the state can legally place bets.