Discussions Begin Regarding Wisconsin Sports Betting Framework

Wisconsin sports betting has been legal since earning Gov. Tony Evers’ signature in April. But before sportsbooks come online in the Badger State, several questions need to be answered.

Evers and the state’s 11 tribes, who will operate all legal Wisconsin sports betting, have started discussions on what the framework will look like whenever sports betting comes online. Specifically, the governor is focused on treating all 11 tribes as equally as possible.

Evers has encouraged the tribes to come together and share in the profits equally. While he cannot compel any tribe to act in a certain way, he plans to push for as equitable a solution as possible.

“What I will not accept is a plan that fractures this opportunity into unequal pieces, allowing some tribes to reap great benefits while leaving only crumbs for others,” Evers said.

That might be a difficult thing to manage, however. Wisconsin’s tribes vary greatly in size, with the Oneida Nation dwarfing the size of any of the other 10 tribes. Roughly 12,000 members of the Oneida Nation live in Wisconsin, more than double any other tribe in the state. For Wisconsin sports betting to come online, Evers will have to meet the Oneida Nation wherever its position sits.

Fortunately for bettors in Wisconsin, the Oneida Nation also has the most incentive to bring Wisconsin sports betting online. It has long had its own application for mobile sports betting. However, current rules only allow it to operate on tribal lands. Even though it’s currently legal, the app can’t extend beyond tribal lands until the statewide framework is in place.

What Wisconsin Sports Betting Already Exists?

Wisconsin sports betting, like most forms of gambling in the Badger State, is only available on tribal lands. Several brick-and-mortar casinos exist in Wisconsin, and sports betting is permitted at these facilities.

Besides Oneida Nation’s sportsbook app, the only other form of online betting is Potawatomi’s app. Like the Oneida Nation’s app, the Potawatomi app only works on tribal lands.

Both tribes’ proprietary apps represent a complex question for Evers and the other tribes. Wisconsin’s law allows each tribe to partner with a sportsbook, but that also requires a willing partner in place.

Of the big names, DraftKings has entered the market by partnering with the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa tribe at its casino. None of the other major sportsbooks currently have a partnership in Wisconsin.

Will Wisconsin Sports Betting Come Online in 2026?

It seems unlikely. Historically, legal sportsbooks tend to take about six months from legislation to operation. But in Wisconsin’s case, it’s likely to take longer. That’s because the state is one of a few where legal gambling must go through the tribes. Wisconsin is also different in that unlike Florida, it did not grant a monopoly to one tribe.

One strong incentive exists for a deal: Evers’ limited time remaining as governor. He has chosen not to seek re-election, giving him six months to get the tribes to agree to a deal. If no deal exists by Jan. 3, it would fall to Evers’ successor.

In all likelihood, legal Wisconsin sports betting won’t come online during the upcoming Green Bay Packers’ season. With where talks currently sit, a target date of spring 2027 seems more plausible.