Sports betting in Wisconsin has been legalized – but currently, legal sports betting is available only at tribal casinos.
At this moment in time, Wisconsin does not allow for commercial gambling, but in November 2021, the state’s Oneida Nation started offering sports betting at its main Oneida casino located in Green Bay.
Wisconsin has a total of 27 gaming locations operated by the 11 Native American tribes. In addition, there is a Wisconsin state lottery which means that there are a few options to legalize commercial sports betting in Wisconsin should the opportunity ever arise.
Will Online Sports Betting Launch in Wisconsin?
Right now, no bills have so far been submitted to legalize online sports betting in Wisconsin – and, as such, it’s difficult to say if and when online sports betting might officially launch in the state. However, they don’t seem to be looking to launch sports betting online anytime soon.
Legal Betting Options in Wisconsin
As it stands, Wisconsin sports bettors can make legal sports bets at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay.
In addition, other tribal casinos are also looking to start offering sports betting in the future.
Illegal Offshore Sports Betting Sites
There are some operators that claim that they can accept wagers from residents of Wisconsin – and any other state in the US. However, these are offshore sports betting sites that have not been licensed to run a legal betting site in the US.
However, there are not any gambling companies that have been federally licensed – and any online sports betting site would need to be licensed by whoever is given the responsibility to regulate sports betting in Wisconsin – at state level.
If you choose to gamble at these offshore sportsbooks, then there may be some unfortunate consequences, given that any customer of the site will have no legal protection.
This means that they could choose to not pay out your winnings or could simply close down operations without returning your funds – and there would be no legal recourse.
Best Sports Betting Cities In Wisconsin
Milwaukee
Milwaukee has a huge sports betting fanbase, given that it is home to the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and the MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers. However, anyone looking to physically make a bet on either of these teams would either need to travel over to the Oneida Casino in Green Bay or else cross state lines. The only other option would be illegal offshore online sportsbooks which we would not recommend.
Green Bay
Green Bay is a great place for Wisconsin bettors. Firstly, it is the location of the state’s one land-based casino, the Oneida Casino, Green Bay, located near the airport. It is also home to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers – arguably the most loved of all professional sports teams in the state. The NFL is the most popular sport to bet on in the US – and the Packers are one of the best teams. So, it goes without saying that Wisconsin sports bettors tend to back their hometown team.
Betting Across Borders In Wisconsin
Aside from the tribal casino, Wisconsin has borders with a number of states that have regulated sports betting in a more holistic way than Wisconsin. For example, Iowa and Illinois have allowed legal sports betting since 2019 and have numerous retail casinos that offer sports betting. As such, there are probably many Wisconsin residents that would find it easier to travel across the border rather than drive over to the Oneida Casino in Green Bay.
There is now an Oneida app that makes sports betting marginally easier for state bettors, but there is a much wider variety across state borders.
Most Popular Sports to Bet on in Wisconsin
Professional sports and college sports are both popular in the state, but, like most US states, it’s very much all about the NFL.
Wisconsin NFL Betting
The Wisconsin team the Green Bay Packers is the only publicly-owned major league sports team in the US. Instead of having one commercial owner or a handful of owners, the team is owned by over 350,000 fans.
So, there is definitely a deeper interest in the team and its fans have a vested interest in their results for many reasons. However – whether or not those stock owners would be allowed to wager on the team might be questioned.
Wisconsin NBA Betting
For those who enjoy NBA betting, there is also a very excellent state team to follow. The league’s Milwaukee Bucks have been extremely successful recently and they will continue to be front runners as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo stays with the team.
Wisconsin MLB Betting
For those MLB betting fans, there is the Milwaukee Brewers, who made postseason appearances in 2018 and again in 2019. They also boast Outfielder, Christian Yelich who was previously National League MVP.
Wisconsin NCAA Betting
The state is also home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison football team. The ‘Badgers’ team currently competes in the Big 10. They also usually end up in the big-name bowl at the season end. They lost the 2019 season to Oregon by just one point.
Daily Fantasy Sports in Wisconsin
Under current legislation, Daily fantasy sports contests aren’t officially illegal in Wisconsin. However, it hasn’t been regulated as legal either. Like with many other states, DFS is very much a gray area.
As such, Wisconsin residents that are interested in DFS can take part in contests without any legal repercussions. Some of the biggest operators that accept players from residents include FanDuel, DraftKings and Yahoo.
However, there have been moves to legalize DFS in the state officially. Unfortunately, none of these have ever gotten off the ground.
Legal Horse Racing Wisconsin?
Horse racing is legal in Wisconsin and is quite readily available.
Currently, harness racing is active at numerous places throughout the state, but most commonly at county fairs. There are, however, no tracks that are permanently open in Wisconsin.
Horse racing betting is also legal in the state and is available at the state’s tribal casinos.
There is also limited access to advance-deposit wagering operators. Although TVG doesn’t operate in the state, TwinSpires and BetAmerica are both available in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Esports Betting
Currently, the tribal casino in Wisconsin doesn’t offer betting on esports. The only way to do this is either by crossing the border or by using illegal offshore sportsbooks. These will allow you the opportunity to bet on eSport games such as CS:GO, League of Legends, Tekken, StarCraft, Dota, Overwatch, Fortnite and more.
Wisconsin Sports Betting Markets
Wisconsin sports fans can make sports bets on all of the popular markets on top games and sporting events such as:
Moneyline Sports Betting
This is the simplest type of bet. The sportsbook simply offers betting lines on the winner or loser (or draw). You just choose who you think will win.
Spread Betting
This involves betting on whether a certain team will win or lose by a certain amount of points or goal margin (and cover the spread).
Props Bets
This is placing wagers on the outcome of events that aren’t necessarily related to who wins or loses the game. It could be the number of successful passes by a player or the player to score first etc. This can be a fun way to make bets.
Futures Bets
This is betting on the outcome of a future event – such as the outcome of a tournament or competition. It could be which player will win the US Open or who will win the Super Bowl etc.
Parlay Bets
This is where a bettor combines multiple selections into one big bet. The more selections, the more you stand to win, but the harder it is to win as all of your selections need to be correct for you to win the wager.
combine multiple selections (“legs”) into a single wager. The more legs, the higher your potential payout. Keep in mind that all legs of your parlay must hit; otherwise, you lose your entire wager.
Totals – Over/Unders
This type of bet simply involves predicting whether or not the total combined score in a sports event will be over or under the line specified by a sportsbook.
Wisconsin Sports Betting Timeline
2022
21st February 2022: Oneida Nation launched a new sports betting app that can only be used on Oneida land.
2021
20th December 2021: The Chippewa Indians agreed to terms for retail sports betting although this is currently not available yet
30th November 2021: The Oneida Nation opened a retail sportsbook at its Green Bay casino near the airport.
20th August 2021: The Oneida plan to open a retail sportsbook in Wisconsin was approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
13th July 2021: Oneida Nation announced that they would look to offer sports betting in Wisconsin under their current tribal compact.
2020
No attempt was made to legalize sports betting.
2019
No attempt was made to legalize sports betting that year. However, Rep. Vorpagel stated that he wanted to start having conversations about the legalization of sports betting in Wisconsin. He said that as other states were doing it, it would be better for them to move forward with it, but in a safe and responsible way.
Sports Betting Taxes in Wisconsin
Wisconsin residents are required to report their sports betting winnings when filling out their tax forms. Residents are required to pay a 24% tax on any gambling winnings, including sports betting. This also counts towards your income bracket on state taxes and is taxed additionally. This could range between 3 and 7 per cent.
Wisconsin Sports Betting FAQ
Is Sports Betting Legal in Wisconsin?
Currently, sports betting is only legal at one tribal casino in the state. However, right now, there is no talk of legalized sports betting at any other location – including mobile sports betting.
Where Can I Bet on Sports in Wisconsin?
In order to make a sports bet in Wisconsin, you would need to drive over to the Oneida Nation casino in Green Bay. The only other way is to cross state borders over to Illinois or Iowa. The only mobile sports betting option is via illegal offshore sportsbooks.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Wisconsin?
No, you can’t legally place bets on your phone in Wisconsin. However, there are reasonably close options for legal mobile sports betting over the border in Iowa.
There are websites that claim that they can take bets from all US residents, including Wisconsin. However, these are not legally licensed to operate anywhere in the US, including Wisconsin.
Any website that offers real-money gambling needs to be licensed at state level in the US. As such, there are no legal online sports betting options within the state of Wisconsin.
As such, for now, there is no online betting, and the only retail sportsbook is in Green Bay.
