Wisconsin Sports Betting Faces Murky Future

As of April 2026, Wisconsin sports betting is now legal in an online setting. How soon it becomes widely available is another matter.

Governor Tony Evers’ signature of Assembly Bill 601 officially permits online sports betting in Wisconsin. However, there’s no guarantee as to when — or if — popular online sportsbooks will come online.

That’s because Evers and the legislature chose to prioritize the 11 Native American tribes that call Wisconsin home. The legal framework of the new law permits online sports betting, as long as the site in question has its server on tribal lands.

But Evers has stressed that AB 601 was merely a starting point, and it’s now up to the tribes to hammer out the details for online sports betting in Wisconsin

What Does the New Law Mean for Wisconsin Sports Betting?

The most simple answer is that just because online sports betting in Wisconsin is legal, that doesn’t automatically mean available.

First, sportsbooks have to decide if they want to enter the Wisconsin market and partner with one of the tribes. Based on their recent positions, that’s not a sure thing.

The Sports Betting Alliance, which consists of DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Bet365 and Fanatics Sportsbooks, notably opposed AB 601. They claimed that the law hampered their ability to make money in Wisconsin because it required 60% of betting revenue to go to the tribes.

The Sports Betting Alliance had hoped for a constitutional amendment that would have ended the tribes’ monopoly on betting in Wisconsin. The state’s constitution has banned gambling outside of tribal land since 1848, with exceptions for bingo and the state lottery.

A notable question mark is Caesars Sportsbook, which is not part of the SBA and did not take a position on AB 601. Caesars has previously shown no hesitation to oppose sports betting legislation that it deemed unfavorable. The lack of action from Caesars could be a sign that it plans to enter Wisconsin.

Which Sportsbooks Will Be Available in Wisconsin?

Because of existing operations, the tribes might not even need the big sportsbooks in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Brewers, who openly supported AB 601, have a partnership with Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Sportsbook and Casino. The Green Bay Packers have long partnered with Green Bay-based Oneida Casino, and the Milwaukee Bucks have partnered with Betway.

Both Oneida and Potawatomi have their own mobile apps already in place. Oneida’s app has been live since 2022, and Potawatomi began work on its app in 2024. In accordance with previous laws, both apps were restricted to only working on tribal lands.

With the framework already built, expanding services to the rest of the state could happen in a matter of weeks. Because of that, Oneida and Potawatomi will almost certainly become the first online sportsbooks to accept bets outside tribal lands.

That could further discourage the big name sportsbooks from entering Wisconsin. If Oneida and Potawatomi use their advantage to dominate the market, the SBA might decide there’s no way to compete in the Badger State.

Given the Menominee Tribe’s upcoming Hard Rock Casino in Kenosha, this seems a likely possibility. The Menominee Tribe is the second-largest in Wisconsin, after the Oneida Nation. With the state’s largest tribes already spoken for, a partnership with a big sportsbook seems unlikely.

What Will Sports Betting in Wisconsin Eventually Look Like?

The closest model for Wisconsin sports betting is Florida. In Florida, servers are set up on the Seminole Tribe’s lands, and bettors can be located anywhere in Florida.

Wisconsin will likely be an expanded version of Florida. The biggest difference is that the Seminole Tribe exclusively controls gaming in Florida. In Wisconsin, all betting must run through a tribe, but there will be multiple tribal sportsbooks.

Most likely, the Oneida and Potawatomi sportsbooks will offer online sports betting statewide in 2026. If any other sportsbooks decide to join them, they would likely enter Wisconsin in 2027.