Charitable Gaming (Bingo) 1973; Raffles 1977
Pari-Mutuel Betting/Lottery 1987
Tribal Casinos 1991
Charitable Gaming/Lottery/Pari-Mutuel Wagering 18+
Tribal Casinos 21+
Class III Tribal Casinos 22
As one of the few remaining states yet to see any change, there is currently no legal online sports betting or online gambling available for Wisconsin residents. As of 2022, there are no proposed bills or planned change to these laws.
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Wisconsin has a tight definition of legal gambling, encompassing tribal casinos and licensed charitable gaming (bingos and raffles). An activity is considered gambling if it consists of a prize, consideration, and element of chance.
Those terms could be seen as so broad as to be meaningless. It could cover fantasy sports, and yet casino gambling fans could argue that playing blackjack well takes a certain amount of skill. However, they do amount to a significant obstacle to sports betting or online casino sites becoming legal in the state.
The only other authorized forms of gambling in Wisconsin are a state lottery and pari-mutuel wagering. The Department of Administration‘s Division of Gaming is responsible for supervising charitable and Indian gaming within the Badger State.
Fantasy sports contests remain a grey area, remaining unauthorized and regulated. Still, the state seems unwilling to step in, allowing operators like DraftKings and FanDuel to continue accepting players from Wisconsin.
In 2021, sports betting made headway after the state reached an agreement with The Oneida Nation to offer legal sportsbooks at its retail casino locations. Whether this means that we’ll see online sports betting any time soon is anyone’s guess, but presently Wisconsin online gambling is not being presented in the form of a bill to congress.
The Wisconsin Lottery is operated by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, which sells lotto games like Powerball, Mega Millions, and All or Nothing. Instant games, including scratch and pull-tabs, are also sold in the state. The Wisconsin Lottery has generated over $16.1bn in sales since it was established in 1988. Tickets can be purchased at authorized retailers across the state. However, ticket purchases over the Internet are not permitted.
Raffles and bingos conducted by charitable organizations fall under the responsibility of The Office of Charitable Gaming. It licenses approximately 9,000 raffle organizations and another 450 bingo organizations. To hold a raffle, an organization requires a Class A license. Raffle tickets may not be sold over the Internet or as electronic tickets.
Progressive raffles, square boards, penny raffles, golf ball drops, paddles, and quarter options are prohibited. There is no minimum age to purchase a raffle ticket. However, specific prizes such as firearms or automobiles may be subject to legal age restrictions.
An organization may only hold bingo events if it has been in existence for at least 3 years before applying for a license. Bingo games where players must make a purchase before playing require a permit. There is no limit to the number of events held annually.
However, prizes at any event must not exceed $2,500 total and $500 per game, excluding progressive jackpots. It is also possible to obtain a limited period bingo license to offer events for no more than 4 out of 5 sequential days per licensed year. With laws this restrictive, it’s hard to see the state making casino games or any similar form of online gambling legal.
Both horseracing and greyhound racing are legal in Wisconsin. However, there are no live commercial racetracks in the state. Off-track betting is only available at a handful of tribal casinos. This only leaves simulcast wagering from online operators such as TVG and Twinspires.
Wisconsin has signed gaming compact agreements with 11 federally recognized native tribes. These casinos can offer a full range of games: blackjack, video poker, bingo, baccarat, keno machines, slot machines (with bets of as little as $.01), off-track betting, and roulette.
Class III Tribal Casinos | Address | Website |
Bad River Lodge & Casino | 73370 US-2 – Ashland, WI 54861 | badriver.com |
Grindstone Creek Casino | 13394 W Trepania Rd -Hayward, WI 54843 | n/a |
Ho-Chunk Gaming Black River Falls | W9010 Hwy 54 East – Black River Falls, WI 54615 | ho-chunkgaming.com |
Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison | 4002 Evan Acres Rd – Madison, WI 53718 | ho-chunkgaming.com |
Ho-Chunk Gaming Nekoosa | 949 County Rd G – Nekoosa, WI 54457 | ho-chunkgaming.com |
Ho-Chunk Gaming Tomah | 27867 State Highway 21 – Tomah, WI 54660 | ho-chunkgaming.com |
Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells | S3214 County Hwy BD – Baraboo, WI 53913 | ho-chunkgaming.com |
Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg | N7198 US-45 – Wittenberg, WI 54499 | ho-chunkgaming.com |
Irene Moore Activity Center | 2100 Airport Drive – Green Bay, WI 54313 | oneidacasino.net |
Lac Courte Oreilles Casino | 13767 Co Rd B – Hayward, WI 54843 | sevenwindscasino.com |
Lake of the Torches | 510 Old Abe Rd – Lac Du Flambeau, WI 54538 | lakeofthetorches.com |
Legendary Waters Resort & Casino | 37600 Onigamiing Dr, Bayfield, WI 54814 | legendarywaters.com |
Menominee Casino Resort | N277 WI-47 – Keshena, WI 54135 | menomineecasinoresort |
Mole Lake Casino & Lodge | 3084 WI-55 – Crandon, WI 54520 | molelakecasino.com |
North Star Mohican Casino Resort | W12180 Co Rd A – Bowler, WI 54416 | northstarcasinoresort.com |
Oneida Casino Main-Airport | 2020 Airport Drive – Green Bay, WI 54313 | oneidacasino.net |
Oneida W. Mason | 2522 W Mason St – Green Bay, WI 54303 | oneidacasino.net |
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino | 1721 W Canal St – Milwaukee, WI 53233 | paysbig.com |
Potawatomi Northern Lights – Carter | 618 State Hwy 32 – Wabeno, WI 54566 | cartercasino.com |
St. Croix Casino Danbury | 30222 WI-35 #77 – Danbury, WI 54830 | stcroix-casinos.com |
St. Croix Casino Hertel | 4348 WI-70 – Webster, WI 54893 | stcroix-casinos.com |
St. Croix Casino Turtle Lake | 777 US-8, Turtle Lake, WI 54889 | stcroix-casinos.com |
The Wisconsin Legislature authorized charity bingo games in 1973 and raffles later in 1977. These were followed by 2 additional amendments to the Constitution in 1987 to authorize a state lottery and pari-mutuel wagering. The 1st lottery ticket went on sale in 1988.
Between 1991 and 1992, 11 Indian tribes negotiated compacts with Wisconsin to offer Class III casinos. To avoid any confusion, voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1993, clarifying that no other forms of gambling are lawful.
In 2016, a draft bill proposing to regulate fantasy sports contests was introduced. It would require operators to register with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. The Bill failed to make sufficient headway.
The Wisconsin legal gambling age for lotteries, pari-mutuel wagering, and charitable gaming is 18 and over. However, participating at a Wisconsin land-based casino is only permitted for players 21 and above.
No, Wisconsin prohibits traditional casinos or Las Vegas nights, poker runs, and poker tournaments.
No, video gambling is not legal anywhere outside of a licensed and regulated casino. Five or fewer machines may be offered at bars. However, these must be for fun only.
You cannot play online casino games with Wisconsin-based casino, and there is no sign that WI gambling sites will be in the pipeline any time soon. There are some suggestions that sports betting may be considered in the future, but nothing concrete, and any ideas of Wisconsin online gambling at casino sites seem even less immediate. Still, other states have changed gambling laws in short timeframes before, so who knows?
No, Wisconsin does not allow ticket purchases using a credit card. This could be seen as going into debt to fund gambling, and is therefore prohibited.
Yes, 24% of winnings are deducted in federal taxes on wins over $5,000, and 7.65% is deducted in state taxes on wins over $2,000.
Although Wisconsin has not authorized or regulated fantasy sports contests, it has made no attempt to stop operators from targeting state players. Wisconsin residents can participate in DFS at operators like FanDuel and DraftKings.
As in many other states, fantasy sports are not seen as a form of online gambling, so allowing it to take place does not make sports betting, nor any other form of online gambling legal in Wisconsin.
Admittedly, Wisconsin is not the most liberal gambling state, certainly when it comes to online gambling laws. Still, it does boast 22 tribal casinos, making it particularly attractive to players from bordering states. Where Wisconsin has shown a progressive attitude towards land-based casinos, interactive gaming is a different story.
The Badger State has so far not demonstrated an appetite for regulating interactive gaming, including online casinos. Still, some players from Wisconsin play at offshore online casinos anyways, finding the benefits worth the risk. Feel free to review our section on the best new casinos and bonuses if you might be interested in playing casino games online.