Wisconsin is one of the smallest states in the US and therefore does not offer much gambling opportunities. Online gambling is not prohibited but not regulated. Therefore offshore online casinos are available for Wisconsin player to sign up to, while onshore online operators are prohibited.
Online Gambling
- Offshore online casino providers accept players from Wisconsin
- There are no state regulated online onshore operators
- Wisconsin State Lottery holds monopoly on lottery products
- Tribal land based casino licenses are awarded
- No land based commercial casino licenses are offered in Wisconsin
Best 5 Wisconsin Online Casinos
| CASINO | RATING | BONUS | PLAY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
El Royale Casino
|
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|
250% up to $12,500 Welcome Bonus |
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| 2 | 
Bovada
|
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|
100% up to $3,000 Welcome Bonus |
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| 3 | 
Vegas Casino Online
|
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|
400% up to $10,000 Welcome Bonus |
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| 4 | 
Slots Empire
|
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|
220% up to $12,000 Welcome Bonus |
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| 5 | 
Red Dog Casino
|
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|
225% up to $12,250 Welcome Bonus |
Play Now |
Online casino activity is currently available and offered through various sites that are based offshore. These sites are safe and secure to play at, with no risk posed to Wisconsin players, both regarding legality or to player data protection.
The best online casinos all use the latest SSL internet technology, and feature secure payment methods that are common, trusted and processed by reputable financial institutions. These include: VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Bitcoin (BTC), direct wire transfers and many other methods.
Casino Bonuses are extremely important in selecting an online casino. We have therefore displayed some of the best casino bonuses that can be found whilst balancing other important criteria such as safety and security as previously mentioned. However, for ease of reference, we have listed them according to the size of bonus.
Without doubt, at the time of writing, El Royale Casino offers the best casino bonus deal. It is also one of the safest. Coupled with excellent customer service, El Royale is our top recommended online casino for Arkansas players.
Sports Betting
Online sports betting sites, however, do exist and they are based offshore. They accept Wisconsin bettors, with no precedence of any bettor being informed of a breach in law, let alone charged with a misdemeanor or felony.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is growing fast in popularity. New to the gambling scene, it is considered a game of skill by many which requires bettors to create a fictitious team based on real players. The performance of the real sports players in real life determine how successful the fictitious team is. As a result, it truly is those with the most “skills” will win.
The two dominate daily fantasy sports providers is DraftKings and FanDuel. On this site, we do not actively promote daily fantasy sports as we understand that it is a game of “skill” which is being exploited by bettors who have the best risk modelling. That is, it isn’t nearly about how well you know your sport, the sport players etc, it is very much about who has the best statistical model and who has access to the most detailed sports player data.
As someone who may be a big fan of sport, and thinking that they would have a good chance of winning money in DFS, think again. You are pitted against statistical modelling experts who deliberately target games that mostly have new players to DFS. In fact, it has been alleged that those who are extremely good at DFS have been known to collaborate among themselves and not compete with each other. Thereby creating a sustainable winning formula shared by the experts.
We therefore want our readers to be aware that DFS is not what is appears to be. In fairness, DFS is legal in Wisconsin and many DFS onshore operators accept Wisconsin players.
Top 3 Wisconsin Online Bingo Sites
Wisconsin bingo laws are stipulated under Charitable gaming state legislation. These laws provide for the licensing of non profit organizations to operate bingo games. At present, these laws do not address nor permit online bingo by onshore operators. Accordingly, online bingo sites that do accept Wisconsin players are based offshore (which is the same as online casinos and sports betting sites).
The recommended online bingo sites all accept players from Wisconsin. They offer advanced features that include instant messaging, fun bingo games and protocols that ensures bingo participants play together in a civil enjoyable manner. Due to the social aspect of bingo, there is a cultural aspect to bingo which cannot be found with casino or sports betting. As an example, A LOT of acronyms form part of instant chat messaging. If you are not familiar with online bingo lingo, do not be afraid, learning it is one of the most fun parts!
Legal Minimum Gambling Age
- 21 for casino activity
- 18 for bingo, lottery and all other forms of gambling
Gambling Laws
Tribal land based casinos are authorised to operate slots and table games;
Pari-mutuel on-track wagering and simulcast is permitted on horse and greyhound racing, however, there are no horse and greyhound races to place bets on;
Raffles and charitable bingo may be lawfully operated by charitable organizations;
Retailers may offer promotional contests, subject to the condition, the player is not obligated to pay consideration and all aspects of the promotion are equitable and fair;
Online gambling is lawful for players, subject to age conditions; online onshore operators are prohibited;
Gambling Taxes
Revenues generated from the State lottery and charitable gaming are circulated to fund charitable purposes;
Tax for tribal casinos is determined by State-Tribe compacts.
Regulation and Governance
Gambling Legislation
- Wisconsin Constitution
- Wisconsin Statutes
Wisconsin Gambling Developments
Background
Wyoming Lottery became authorized and regulated in March 2013, and operations began in Q1, 2014. The Lottery was formed based on the Georgia Lottery model with a minimum return payout of 50% of ticket sales. The lottery is reportedly self-funded;
Streetwater Downs and Wyoming Downs are the states two licensed racetrack facilities. Virtual horse race wagering based on past races became regulated in 2013.
February 2018
Intralot announced the renewal of their contract with the Wyoming Lottery for a further five (5) years until August 2024.
December 2018
The Office of the Attorney General declared that gaming machines operated in the state under the name of Wyoming Skill Games constitute illegal gambling under state law.
July 2019
Wyoming’s failure to establish a gaming commission to regulate gambling activities in the state could mean an increase in the number of unregulated gaming machines that can be found in truck stops, convenience stores, bars and other similar locations across the state, where there are an estimated 400 machines producing around $4m in revenues each year. Local Senator Ogden Driskill said: “We’re going to come back next year with nothing passed, and we’re going to be dealing with something between 800 and 1,200 machines. It’s getting harder and harder to slow that down.”
October 2019
The Joint Committee on Travel, Recreation and Cultural Resources approved legislation to establish a Gaming Commission to oversee the expansion of gambling in the state. If passed, the bill would expand the existing Pari-Mutuel Commission and grant it powers to expand gambling in the state.
Under the proposals, counties would be required to approve any expansion of gambling in their local area.
February 2020
The Joint Committee on Travel, Recreation and Cultural Resources once again approved legislation to establish a Gaming Commission to oversee the expansion of gambling in the state, having passed the same bill in the last legislative session. The bill is likely to face some opposition, with one concern being the proposal that citizens would be required to vote during the 2020 election on whether to allow skill-based games in their town or city – the concern being that this could lead to existing businesses being shut down. Opponents to the bill would prefer an ‘opt-out’ clause rather than requiring counties to opt-in to the legislation;
Legislation was introduced to authorize online sports betting in the state. If passed, HB-225 would permit the operation of online sports betting from 1 January 2021 and proposed an initial license fee of $20k with an annual renewal fee of $10k as well as a 16% tax on gross win.
March 2020
The House of Representatives has voted against HB-225 that would have legalized sports betting in the state. The House voted 32-27 against the bill, and it has now been withdrawn from the legislative process.
FAQ
Is it legal to gamble for real money online in Wisconsin?
Gambling laws vary for each type of game. Online games are not permitted to be offered by onshore gaming operators. As a result, online operators are based offshore at regulated and licensed jurisdictions. Wisconsin players are accepted by the offshore operators. In regards, to player legality, the laws neither explicitly declare online gambling as illegal or legal. As a result Wisconsin players can continue to enjoy playing online games.
What is the legal minimum age to play at real money online casinos?
Legal minimum ages vary from online casino to online casino, however their requirement is that the higher of the player’s jurisdiction the the online casino’s own legal minimum is taken to be the determine age limit. Therefore, for Wisconsin players the legal minimum age is 21.