Published on: October 22, 2025, 08:59h.
Last revised on: October 22, 2025, 08:59h.
- Wisconsin legislators are considering a bill to legalize online sports betting
- Only tribal casinos operate in Wisconsin
- Minnesota prohibits sports betting
Currently, sports betting in Wisconsin is restricted to on-site wagers at tribal casinos. A new proposal aims to extend betting options for college and professional sports to online platforms.
Wisconsin is home to 25 tribal casinos operated by 11 compacted tribes, lacking any commercial casinos. When the US Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting, the resulting market was granted solely to tribal entities in Wisconsin.
The necessity for in-person betting has significantly limited the potential of sports wagering in the state. In states with both retail and online betting options, as much as 90% to 95% of total wagers occur online.
Wisconsin Takes Inspiration from Florida
Recently, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Madison, backed by the state’s Native tribes, formulated a proposal with assistance from the Legislative Reference Bureau. This draft law, not yet formally submitted to the State Assembly, borrows concepts from Florida’s recent expansion of tribal sports betting.
Referred to as the “hub and spoke model,” this legislation would enable online betting under the condition that the tribal sportsbook’s server remains on Native land, allowing remote wagers while still classifying them as tribal gaming.
Florida’s expanded online sports betting initiative with the Seminole Tribe faced legal challenges, but the US Supreme Court dismissed the case, siding with the lower federal court’s ruling that hub and spoke online sports betting with regards to tribal lands aligns with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
“This bill excludes from the definition of ‘bet’ any sports wager placed by a person physically within this state using a mobile or electronic device, provided the server conducting the wager is located on federally recognized American Indian tribal lands, and the wager abides by a compact between the tribe and the state under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act,” states the drafted online sports betting bill.
Leaders such as Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August (R-Walworth), Assembly Minority Leader Kalan Haywood (D-Milwaukee), along with state Senators Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (D-Appleton) are backing this measure.
The legislative session for Wisconsin in 2025 continues until year-end.
A Major Opportunity Awaits
The draft legislation does not specify whether Wisconsin intends to claim a portion of the online gaming revenue similar to Florida’s 10%. With Minnesota lacking legalized sports betting, significant revenue potential exists for Wisconsin should online sports betting be authorized.
Minnesota shares a nearly 300-mile border with Wisconsin, with the metro areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which collectively house around 2.7 million residents, located close to Wisconsin.