Published on: March 3, 2026, 11:33 AM.

Updated on: March 3, 2026, 11:33 AM.

• Wisconsin legislation could empower tribes with exclusive rights to online sports betting
• Commercial sportsbooks express disinterest in facilitating tribal sports betting due to a requirement that 60% of revenue remains with the tribal compact

Lawmakers in Wisconsin are actively discussing the potential for expanding tribal sports betting to the online realm.

In the previous month, Assembly Bill 601 successfully passed the Wisconsin State Assembly through a voice vote.

Carried over from 2025, this legislation would grant the federally recognized gaming tribes in the Badger State the sole ability to conduct sports betting online. A stipulation within the bill mandates that a tribe’s sportsbook server must be located on sovereign land, following a “hub-and-spoke” model.

Opposition to mobile sports betting spans both parties, with 66% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans expressing resistance. Additionally, over 70% of regular religious attendees oppose the measure.

Commercial Sportsbooks’ Resistance

AB601 would enable Wisconsin’s 11 compacted tribes, which run 25 casinos, to accept sports bets via the internet. The legislation will likely require that a portion of the gross betting revenues be shared with the state.

Federal courts have determined that the hub-and-spoke model for online sports betting qualifies as tribal gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. However, a requirement in federal gaming law stipulates that “no less than 60% of the net revenues” must be retained by the Indian tribe, making Wisconsin’s prospective online sports betting scene less attractive to commercial entities like FanDuel and DraftKings.

The Sports Betting Alliance, a collective that includes FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Fanatics, and Bet365, argues that Wisconsin legislators were not transparent in the passage of AB601 through a voice vote.

“Unfortunately, the people of Wisconsin don’t have clear visibility into how their representatives voted,” stated SBA President Joe Maloney.

Maloney described the process as “backroom dealings” that deprived the public of an opportunity to contribute to the discussion. The SBA believes Wisconsin ought to consider revising state constitutional provisions to allow commercial online sports betting through a statewide ballot, potentially involving tribal interests. Without the involvement of leading sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel, Maloney asserts that Wisconsin’s online sports betting consumers would be inadequately served, and thus disinclined to engage in a regulated market.

“Introducing more competition into the marketplace allows consumers to access superior products, which ultimately benefits the state financially, rather than relying on monopolistic operations,” Maloney concluded.

Prospects in the Wisconsin Senate

There appears to be some interest within the Wisconsin Senate.

Last fall, the Wisconsin Senate forwarded Senate Bill 592, which is the counterpart to AB601. However, this bill did not make it to a full Senate vote. SB592 currently enjoys the support of 20 Senators in the 33-member body.

AB601 is still awaiting assignment to a Senate committee, a responsibility managed by the Wisconsin Committee on Senate Organization.