Wisconsin (WI)

Sports gambling is still in its infancy in Wisconsin, but current legislation allows for both online and in-person betting. As of the time of the writing of this article, the current gambling legislation is shy of two months old.

Also, at this time, the legislation has only permitted one entity, the Oneida nation, to allow WI sports betting in its territory. Oneida Casino is located near Green Bay, so residents of Wisconsin who do not live in the are currently out of luck.

Online Sports Betting in Wisconsin

Right now, in-state online sports betting in Wisconsin is only legal on tribal lands, meaning that a WI-based online sports gambling provider can only be a tribal entity and must use geofencing. This means, in turn, that players can't use tribal apps anywhere else in the state; they have to travel to these locations physically.

However, there is some good news. Offshore betting apps and websites are readily available to Wisconsin residents, and technically they are not illegal. Many offshore sites and apps will gladly accept WI residents as customers, and gambling on these sportsbooks is ultimately allowed.

Trusted and well-respected bookmakers such as Bovada, BetUS, BetOnline, MyBookie, and SportsBetting.ag are set up for this, and players will be able to sign up with no problem whatsoever. They will also be able to make deposits, withdrawals, and bets usually, and fantastic bonus offers and promotions are available for them in this situation.

In-person sports betting is also possible within Wisconsin, but once again, this can only be done, as per the state's constitution, on tribal lands. This means, in turn, that players will have to travel to specific locations if they want to place bets in person. The good news here is that there are lots of tribal casinos now offering sportsbooks on-site. Due to this vast selection, nobody in the state is more than two hours away from one.

Sports Betting Legislation in WI

The history of gambling legislation in the State of Wisconsin is surprisingly short. The fact is, there was no legislation allowing or regulating gambling of any sort before the year 1965. The “sweepstakes,” run by the state government itself, started at that time.

In 1973, State legalized bingo, but it had to be run for a charitable cause. The following significant change was in 1987. That year, the State saw it fit to start a state lottery and legalize and regulate dog racing. Almost right on the heels of the 1987 legislation, tribal casinos also started operations.

However, this was actually due to legislation at the federal level, specifically, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Another negotiation in 2003 gave them even more rights, and the WI sports betting itself is built on that framework.

Starting in the year 2019, politicians began talking about it and making plans and promoting them. However, nothing got through the state legislative bodies for quite some time afterward. It wasn't, in fact, until very recently, on December 21, 2021, that the first agreement was signed for legal sports betting with the state itself. Indian tribes have the ability to negotiate for just their tribe to offer sports betting in their jurisdiction, so for the time being, this is likely the only way sports betting will be allowed in the state for a while.

In-Person Sports Betting In Wisconsin

Right now, the first (and only) sportsbook to have opened in the state of Wisconsin is in a very convenient location. It is on Oneida tribal lands and is located just four miles from Lambeau Field, where the state's beloved Green Bay Packers play their home games.

The name of the place is simply the Oneida Casino. It's the main casino out of those operated by the Oneida Nation, and it expects to build on past successes with its sportsbook project.

The age limit to use the sportsbook is the same as it is in the rest of the casino. You must be a minimum of 21 years old to play, and this restriction counts for both the in-person sportsbook and the app.

Sports Betting In Neighboring States

There are two key elements to mention when discussing Wisconsin's relationship with its neighboring states when it comes to sports betting. The first one is the fact that there is no legal sports gambling currently in the state of Minnesota. This means that WI has very explosive growth potential in this area.

At the same time, Minnesota is surrounded by states that have some sort of active sports betting. However, those other states are harder to access for most residents.

On the other hand, neighboring Illinois does have legalized sports gambling as well, and in addition to this, the Illinois sports betting legislation on the books is much more open and free. Add to this the fact that many people live very close to the Illinois border. So, it might be the best place to travel if you want to try out sports gambling opportunities.

How do mobile sportsbook apps work in Wisconsin?

If players do not wish to have to deal with the geo-fencing requirements for in-state betting in Wisconsin, there are, fortunately, other options available. Plenty of fully legal offshore apps are happy to work with players to provide them with the online sports betting experience. Bettors in the state will not find it hard to find these offshore apps either as they are readily available in the App Store or Play Store for immediate download.

Once a player has selected their preferred offshore app, they simply download it, register, and make their initial deposits. Generally, the sign-up process is the same for offshore apps as it would be for state-run apps. Players must provide real-live personal information like their full name, their address, etc. Then, they must provide financial information. This is so that they can then deposit and withdraw money from the app using their chosen methods for both processes.

There is a wide array of offshore sports betting apps available in the state and the top five ranking right now is, in our opinion, Bovada, BetUS, BetOnline, MyBookie, and Sportsbetting.ag. All of these sites have strong international reputations, and all of them offer generous matching deposit welcome bonuses.

BetUs is especially generous, offering a 125 percent match on the player's first deposit. This bonus can payout up to $2500 in bonus funds.

Getting started - Step-by-step

The process for registration and getting started on the one and only Wisconsin online sports betting app almost couldn't be simpler. Anybody who has dealt with sportsbook apps or casino apps before will find this to be a breeze. Indeed, even somebody who has no experience with sports gambling apps of any kind at all shouldn't have too much trouble getting set up.

Here is the process, broken down:

1. Sign up. Please make sure to get yourself a unique user name and a password of sufficient strength to protect yourself.

2. Download the preferred sports betting app, which is in this case the Oneida gambling app. There are of course many offshore apps available if you just want to try them.

3. Make a deposit and fund your account: All the options are listed in the next paragraph.

4. Claim offered welcome bonuses. As of the time of this writing, there are none available, but, by the time you read this, that will probably have changed. At any rate, it's important to check and see what kind of offers may be available.

5. Place your bets. The title here says pretty much all that is needed to say.

Bonuses and WI sports betting offers

Right now, offshore apps do have bonus offers specifically aimed at Wisconsin. For example, Bovada has a bonus offer that can provide up to $1000 in bonus funds, depending on the amount of your first deposit. BetOnline has a similar offer available. BetOnline's offer also gives up to $1000 in internal bonus money.

XBet gives up to $500, in a 100 percent matching deposit bonus offer. Sportsbetting.ag officers a 50 percent matching deposit bonus, also going up to a possible $1000 in potential bonus funds, depending on the amount of a player's first deposit.

Payment methods for depositing

In Wisconsin, the existing casino app has the same options for depositing your money as it does for withdrawing it. First off, you can go to any casino teller or kiosk and instantly deposit money. In the case of the teller, you can also withdraw your earnings there.

You can also use a credit or debit card for both depositing and withdrawing. Finally, you can use your bank account directly. This last option is, of course, available for deposit and withdrawal as well. Not all banks will work with this last option, however.

What is legal to bet on in Wisconsin?

Legally, players, once they arrive on tribal territory, have a wide range of options available to them, much more expansive than in many other states. For example, all esports are legal for wagering, which is not the case in all the US states.

Horse racing is also wide open for players in Wisconsin to place their bets. And in addition to all this, live betting is also allowed.

The age limit for the app is still a minimum of 21 years, the same as for any other gambling-related activity within the state. There is only one restriction on the type of gambling activity regarding online sports betting. College and collegiate-level sports events are not allowed for betting, but only if they involve teams whose home base is within the state. Any other college or collegiate sports events are fully open for wagering by players at the tribal casinos.

Even with this small caveat, this is still a very open book, so to speak, compared to the situations in other states with some form of legalized sports betting laws.

What’s Next For WI Betting Apps?

The logical next step in Wisconsin sports gambling is for other tribal councils to negotiate their contracts with the state government, which would increase competition within the state.

The only downside to this is the geo-fencing requirement, which means that players won't be able to A/B or easily compare sports betting apps without driving from tribal area to tribal area.

Trusted Wisconsin sports betting mobile apps in 2023

Since there is still only one active online sportsbook in the state of Wisconsin, we will now give a brief description of it. Oneida Casino's online sportsbook is available both as an app and as a website. The sportsbook currently allows betting on a vast array of professional sporting events all over the world. It also allows for betting on the Olympics, on other amateur events, and even many shows.

College and collegiate-level sporting events are also wide open here, and the only exception is college or collegiate teams within the state of Wisconsin itself.

Regarding offshore options, there is Costa Rica's Bovada, an online gaming provider with a worldwide reputation. Also from Costa Rica is the slightly lesser-known XBet, which is still a good option and has almost a decade as a provider. From neighboring Panama comes BetOnline, which is very similar to Bovada.

And, once again hailing from Panama, Sportsbetting.ag rounds out the main options for offshore betting. Sportsbetting.ag is a specialized site that only runs a sportsbook and not an accompanying online casino.