Wisconsin Legislators Considering Online Sports Betting Bill

• Several Wisconsin legislators are considering a bipartisan bill to legalize online sports betting for state tribes
• The proposed bill will legalize online sports betting for tribes as long as bets are processed through a server on tribal land
• Wisconsin sports betting is only legal in-person at tribal casinos

Wisconsin legislators may be taking a page out of Florida’s playbook as they consider a new bill to legalize online sports betting.

According to WISN, several Wisconsin legislators are circulating a bipartisan bill to legalize online sports betting in the Badger State. Wisconsin sports betting is currently legalized only for tribal casinos and only allowed in-person on tribal land.

The bill, which has yet to be formally introduced, will legalize online sports betting in the same fashion the Seminole Tribe legalized Florida online sports betting several years ago, which led to numerous lawsuit and eventual Supreme Court consideration.

Legalized Through Hub-and-Spoke System

Legislators pushing for the bill will legalize through the same method the Seminole Tribe eventually legalized online sports betting in Florida. In 2021, the Seminole Tribe began offering online sports betting through their Hard Rock Bet brand in the state, arguing that the online bets were being processed through a server physically located on tribal land.

The decision set off several years of legal battles between the tribes and a number of detractors, eventually finding itself in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court eventually denied a hearing in June 2024, preserving several state and federal legal victories from the Seminole Tribe and allowing online sports betting to continue in the state.

The Wisconsin bill will legalize online sports betting through the same “hub-and-spoke” model as the Seminole Tribe. As long as a Wisconsin tribe has an approved gaming compact with the U.S. Department of the Interior that allows sports betting, and processes sports bets through a server on its tribal land, online sports betting will be legal.

A number of Wisconsin tribes currently offer in-person sports betting through amended gaming compacts.

The bill is currently sponsored by Representatives Tyler August (R-31), and Kalan Haywood (D-16), as well as Senators Howard Marklein (R-17), and Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (D-18). It is being circulated for additional sponsors prior to Wednesday, Oct. 22.

Who Will Be Able to Offer Sports Bets?

Details are not yet clear if Wisconsin tribes will be able to partner with sports betting companies for their online sports betting platforms. In Florida, only the Seminole Tribe’s Hard Rock Bet platform is available for customers, though there have been past discussions to allow outside operators into the state.

Currently, DraftKings has an in-person and retail sports betting partnership with the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. DraftKings and the tribe agreed to the access deal in 2024, which allows the sports betting company to operate a retail sportsbook operation at the tribe’s Lake of the Torches Resort Casino.

The tribal casinos offers six DraftKings sports betting kiosks and one over-the-counter window located on the casino floor, adjacent to the property’s sports bar.