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Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill Thursday, April 9, 2026, that legalizes online sports betting in Wisconsin, making it the 33rd state to allow the practice.
The bill, Assembly Bill 601 (now 2025 Wisconsin Act 247), passed the Legislature with bipartisan support. While Evers initially expressed hesitation due to tribal concerns, he moved forward after receiving a letter signed by all 11 of the state’s federally recognized tribes expressing their support for the measure.
How the new Wisconsin sports betting law works
Under the new law, the state must negotiate new gaming compacts with the tribes, which will have exclusive rights to operate the platforms. Experts suggest it could take months or longer before online sports betting officially launches. In the meantime, residents may continue to place sports bets in person at select tribal casinos.
According to news by PBS Wisconsin, Evers emphasized the need for equity among the state’s 11 tribes, noting he would not accept a plan that treats certain nations more favorably than others.
“The real work begins today,” Evers said in a statement. “Each of the 11 tribes must now work diligently — and together — to shape the future of sports betting in Wisconsin. … An approach that exacerbates long-standing inequalities among tribal nations is not good for Wisconsinites or Wisconsin. I will not entertain it as governor.”
Why the Sports Betting Alliance are pushing back
The law follows the “hub-and-spoke” model currently used in Florida. Under this framework, the computer servers and infrastructure used to manage the wagers must be located on tribal lands for the bets to be considered legal.
Supporters, including the Native American tribes and the Milwaukee Brewers, argue the law is necessary to keep revenue within the state. They noted that many residents currently use offshore sportsbooks or cross the border into neighboring states like Illinois, where online betting is already legal.
However, the Sports Betting Alliance — which represents major operators including bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel — remains opposed. The alliance argues that the federal requirement for 60% of revenues to go to the tribes makes partnerships financially unfeasible. The group has advocated for a constitutional amendment to open the market to all operators.
Projected revenue from WI online sports wagering
Evers highlighted that the state’s share of the new revenue would be used to address critical public needs. “This bill also represents an opportunity for revenue paid into the state to support mental health programs and to combat the opioid crisis, two issues that I know plague both tribal nations and communities across our state,” Evers said in a Courthouse News Service article.
The fiscal impact is expected to be significant. In 2024, Wisconsin tribes paid more than $66 million to the state from existing gaming revenue. Nationally, the American Gaming Association reported that state-regulated sportsbooks handled nearly $167 billion in bets in 2025, generating $17 billion in revenue — a 23% increase over 2024.
