Wisconsin Sports Betting

Wisconsin Gambling Laws

The sports betting landscape in Wisconsin is a little complicated. The activity was legalized on July 1 2021 by Gov Tony Evers, who then signed compact gaming agreements with the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state. 

As it currently stands, in-person sports betting is allowed at three tribal casinos in Wisconsin:

• Oneida Casino Main-Airport, Green Bay
• St Croix Casino, Turtle Lake
• St Croix Casino, Danbury

Oneida Casino located in Green Bay was the first to open its sportsbook and took its first bet in November 2021. In February 2022, the casino launched its own sportsbook app for mobile sports betting, although this is only permitted in specific locations.

April 2022 saw St Croix Casinos launch sportsbooks at its Turtle Lake and Danbury venues, expanding the number of options for Wisconsinites. According to its gaming compact, St Croix can also open a sportsbook at its Hertel location but it has yet to do so.

The legal age for sports betting in Wisconsin is 21. 

Casino

There are a large number of brick-and-mortar casinos located in the Badger State, operated by the 11 Wisconsin tribes in accordance with the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.

Players must be 21 years old to visit a casino in Wisconsin.

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians

• Bad River Lodge & Casino – Odanah

Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin

• Potawatomi Carter Casino Hotel – Wabeno
• Potawatomi Hotel & Casino – Milwaukee

Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin

• Ho-Chunk Gaming – Beloit
• Ho-Chunk Gaming – Black River Falls
• Ho-Chunk Gaming – Madison
• Ho-Chunk Gaming – Nekoosa
• Ho-Chunk Gaming – Tomah
• Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells – Baraboo
• Ho-Chunk Gaming – Wittenberg

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin 

• Grindstone Creek Casino – Hayward
• Sevenwinds Casino, Lodge & Conference Center – Hayward

Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians

• Lake of the Torches Bingo – Lac Du Flambeau
• Lake of the Torches Resort Casino – Lac Du Flambeau

Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin

• Menominee Casino Resort – Keshena
• Thunderbird Convenience Store – Keshena

Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin

• IMAC Casino/Bingo/OTB – Green Bay
• Oneida Casino Main-Airport – Green Bay
• Oneida Casino W. Mason – Green Bay
• Oneida One-Stop Packerland – Green Bay
• Oneida Casino Travel Center – Pulaski

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin

• Legendary Waters Resort and Casino – Red Cliff

Sokaogon Chippewa Community

• Mole Lake Casino – Crandon

St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin

• Danbury Community Center
• St. Croix Casino – Hertel
• St Croix Casino – Danbury
• St Croix Casino – Turtle Lake

Stockbridge-Munsee Community

• North Star Mohican Casino Resort – Bowler

Lottery

The Wisconsin Lottery is run by the state and sells tickets for Powerball, Mega Millions, Megabucks, and a number of other draws, pick games, and scratch cards. 

You must be at least 18 years old to buy a lottery ticket in Wisconsin. 

Gambling Tax in Wisconsin

Gambling winnings in Wisconsin are taxable like any other form of income. You’ll also have to pay 24% federal tax on your winnings. 

Sports to Bet on in Wisconsin

So, what sports can you bet on in Wisconsin? Let’s take a look.

NFL

Wisconsin is considered by many to be a football state, and with the Green Bay Packers representing it in the NFL, it’s no surprise. The team has won 13 league championships including four Super Bowl victories, making it one of the most successful in NFL history. 

The NFL regular season is made up of 32 teams split into two conferences. Each team plays 17 matches, and the top seven from each conference qualify for the playoffs, culminating in the Super Bowl, one of America’s — and the world’s — biggest sporting events. 

NBA

The NBA represents the very best when it comes to basketball. Each of the 30 teams plays 82 games in the regular season, offering ample opportunities to bet on the sport. 16 teams go through to the playoffs, with the overall winner lifting the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. 

Wisconsin is represented in the NBA by the Milwaukee Bucks. The team took the championship title in 2021 — its first since 1971 — by beating the Phoenix Suns.

NHL

Another of America’s top sports, the NHL is considered the top league in the world when it comes to hockey. The regular season sees 32 teams play 82 games, with 16 teams progressing to the playoffs. The NHL final is one of the hottest contests of the year, and the Stanley Cup is North America’s oldest professional sports trophy.

Although Wisconsin doesn’t have a team in the NHL, the Milwaukee Admirals do play in the American Hockey League (AHL), the primary developmental league for the NHL. 

Horse Racing

The sport of kings — horse racing — is enjoyed the world over, with millions placing bets on flat, jumps, and harness racing. The Kentucky Derby is one of the top races in North America, but there’s no shortage of choice — the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes also represent some of the most prestigious events in the sport. Across the pond, events such as the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot offer some of the UK’s top racing, but there’s plenty of daily horse racing across Europe as well.

Golf

Golf is another much-loved sport in North America, in part thanks to the high number of top-notch tournaments that take place in the country throughout the year. The PGA Tour is one of the most prominent, along with the Masters, the Ryder Cup, and the US Open. There’s plenty of golf to be enjoyed abroad as well, with tournaments like the Open Championship played in St Andrews, Scotland. 

Wisconsin has produced its fair share of golfers. One of the most successful is Steve Stricker, who served as US captain in the 2021 Ryder cup. He has 12 PGA Tour wins to his name.

Tennis

Phenomenally popular across the globe, tennis has led to some of the fiercest rivalries in sporting history. The US Open is one of the top tournaments to take place in America across all sports, and serves as one of tennis’s four majors alongside the Australian and French Opens, and Wimbledon.

Betting Formats in Wisconsin

There are many different types of wagers available when you bet on sports. We’ve explained some of your options below.

Moneyline

Moneylines are the simplest bet you can make on a sport. When you place a moneyline bet, you’re backing a certain outcome — usually a particular team to win, or the third option of a draw in sports like soccer and hockey. 

The favorite to win will usually be given a negative number, representing the amount you’ll need to stake to return a $100 profit. The underdog, on the other hand, will get a positive number — the amount you’ll profit from a $100 stake. 

Parlays

If you fancy yourself as a master bet picker, a parlay allows you to combine multiple wagers into one slip, multiplying the odds and therefore increasing your potential payout. Parlays can comprise as little as two legs, but upwards of four- or five-leg parlays are popular too. 

Generally speaking, the more legs, the more you stand to win. Of course, every bet in the parlay needs to come good in order for that to happen — and the tension and excitement will ratchet up with every correct pick.

Point Spreads

When you bet on point spread, you’re backing a team to win or lose by a certain amount. Say two teams are playing with a point spread of 5.5. The favorite needs to win by six points or more in order to cover the spread. Conversely, the underdog must lose by five points or less (or win the match outright) for a bet on them to succeed. 

Prop Bets

Unlike moneylines or point spreads where you’re betting on the outcome of the match, prop bets are placed on whether an event will occur within a match. Take football as an example: you might bet on the number of passing, receiving, or rushing yards by one player. Basketball is another sport where prop bets are popular, as the teams are a lot smaller with just five players. You can even bet on unusual or trivial aspects of a match, such as whether a certain soccer player will hit the woodwork.

Mobile Betting in Wisconsin

There are currently only three tribal casinos with operational sportsbooks, and only one of these — the Oneida Casino Main-Airport in Green Bay — offers a mobile sports betting app. 

To use the app, Apple users can download it from the iOS App Store, while Android users can download the APK directly from the Oneida Casino website. Once you’ve registered and activated your account at Oneida Casino Main-Airport, you can place mobile bets from the following locations: 

• IMAC Casino
• W. Mason Casino
• HWY. 54 One-Stop
• Four Paths One-Stop
• Westwind One-Stop
• Packerland Casino & One-Stop
• HWY. 29 Travel Center Casino & One-Stop
• HWY E & HWY EE One-Stop
• Larsen One-Stop

The app allows you to wager on a range of sports from your mobile device: basketball, hockey, football, and baseball are included, although horse racing is not currently available through the app. You’ll also get the latest odds for every event in the palm of your hand, making it quick and convenient to stay up to date.

Safety and Security at Wisconsin Betting Sites

There are currently no legal online sports betting avenues in Wisconsin aside from the Oneida Casino mobile app. 

You may see some sports betting sites claiming to accept customers from Wisconsin, but these sites operate offshore and so aren’t licensed within the state. Although it’s not illegal to sign up to an offshore casino, we don’t recommend it — while most of these sites are regulated by reputable licensing bodies in their own jurisdictions, the power of these licensing bodies doesn’t extend to Wisconsin. That means you’re not afforded the same protection when you bet at these sites as you would at a Wisconsin-licensed operator. 

Should Wisconsin move towards legalizing online sports betting in the state, robust frameworks will likely be put in place to protect players, including measures around encryption of data, responsible gambling, and harm prevention. 

Compare the Best Wisconsin Betting Sites with Compare.bet

Now you’re up to speed on sports betting in Wisconsin, why not check out some of our other guides? At Compare.bet, we’ve evaluated the top sportsbooks licensed in other states — read our reviews to get a taste of what’s to come if Wisconsin does decide to legalize online sports betting.