Wisconsin lawmakers are moving toward expanding legal sports betting beyond select tribal casinos, with a bill that would allow online wagering statewide through the state’s tribal gambling sites, contingent on Gov. Tony Evers signing the legislation. The measure received final approval Tuesday and is scheduled to hinge on negotiations that would set new terms for which tribes would operate the online sports betting system and under what conditions.
The bill, if signed, would permit people in Wisconsin to place online sports bets with wagering operations managed through the state’s tribal gaming enterprises. It is not expected to take effect immediately, and the timeline would likely extend beyond the span of the current NCAA basketball tournament season, according to the bill’s design, which requires additional state-tribe negotiations before implementation.
The path to statewide online wagering is part of a larger national expansion that began after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2018 cleared the way for state-regulated sports betting. Since that shift, sports wagering has spread from Nevada to 39 states and Washington, D.C., with most online betting routed through in-state regulated platforms.
If Evers were to sign the Wisconsin measure, the state would become the 32nd to allow online sports wagering, which is the format most bettors use when placing wagers remotely. Across the U.S., regulators and industry groups have reported large betting volumes and revenue generation, as states seek to capture tax and licensing income from a market that also includes offshore books and other informal alternatives.
In Wisconsin, gambling has long been limited to tribal lands under exclusive contracts between the state and tribes, and online sports betting has remained illegal. The proposal would follow the framework described as a “hub-and-spoke” model, under which the infrastructure needed to manage bets—such as computer servers—would be located on tribal lands in Wisconsin. Supporters point to similar arrangements used in Florida and say Wisconsin should shift to an in-state regulated approach to capture activity now handled elsewhere.
Supporters of the measure include multiple Wisconsin tribes and the Milwaukee Brewers. They argue that residents already are placing bets using offshore sportsbooks or prediction markets, or by traveling or otherwise placing wagers in nearby states where online sports betting is legal, including Illinois.
The plan has drawn both political and industry opposition. Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, said he opposes online gambling but told lawmakers he prefers Wisconsin to control the activity rather than leaving it to unregulated channels, saying, “I would rather make sure that Wisconsinites have some sort of control over that.”
Opponents include the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents FanDuel, DraftKings, bet365, BetMGM and Fanatics. The alliance argues the bill would not make financial sense for commercial operators to partner with tribal operators because federal law requires 60% of gambling revenues to go back to the tribes, and it urged a different approach, including a state constitutional amendment that would open sports betting to all operators. Damon Stewart, a Sports Betting Alliance representative, said in submitted testimony opposing the bill that, “It is simply not economically feasible for a commercial operator to hand over 60% or more of its revenue to an in-state gaming entity, just for the right to operate in the state.”
Evers’s position remains a central uncertainty in the bill’s prospects. The measure divided Republicans during its passage, with the Senate requiring a coalition of 12 Democrats and nine Republicans, while the Assembly passed the measure on a voice vote without debate. Evers initially said he would sign the bill if it was passed in consultation with, and supported by, the state’s tribes, but he later raised concerns that not all of Wisconsin’s 11 tribes are registered as in support; Britt Cudaback, Evers’s spokesperson, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Even if Evers signs the legislation, Wisconsin residents may still face delays before placing bets online. Other states that expanded from limited tribal casinos to online platforms have often taken months to launch systems, and some reported modest early tax receipts even after online betting began.
As states seek larger shares of sports betting revenue, many have adjusted tax rates and fees, including changes in Illinois and Chicago and policy shifts in states such as Louisiana. In parallel, collegiate prop bets have become another policy battleground as the NCAA has encouraged states to restrict wagers involving college athletes, and several states have moved to ban certain individual player prop bets while others allow them with fewer limits.