The Letter of the Law Wisconsin state law on gambling hinges mostly around its definition of a bet as, “a bargain in which the parties agree that, dependent upon chance even though accompanied by some skill, one stands to win or lose something of value specified in the agreement” as stated in section 945.01. Authorized in Wisconsin under Sections 563.02-563.98, charitable gambling is exempt from Wisconsin anti-gambling law. However, poker did not make the cut (nor did 'Vegas nights' that often include poker tournaments) - charitable gambling only covers games of bingo and select types of raffling activity.

Legal Gambling > State Gambling Laws > Wisconsin Gambling Laws

If you are having trouble finding the Wisconsin Gambling Laws online, then you have come to the right place. We have sifted through Wisconsin's state statutes in order to show our readers exactly what the law has to say about gambling in the state. We are here to provide information only, not legal advice. With the information at hand you should have no trouble actually figuring out what is legal and what is not, provided you have some grip on the laws. If you are still confused by the time you finish reading it, you may want to contact an attorney for clarification. You may find something pertaining to the Internet, found in the Wisconsin Online Gambling Laws, if you read these statutes.

Violating the law is something we do not condone, advocate, or approve of. What you choose to do with the information found on this site is done at your own risk - we are not liable for any damages that you may suffer. Read the Legal Gambling laws below to find out if the Wisconsin Gambling Statutes will affect you.

• Year Wisconsin Regulated Gambling: Bingo (1973), Horse racing (1987), Lottery (1987), Tribal Casinos (1992)
• Estimated Tax Revenue from Gambling: $190 million
• Estimated Gambling Revenue: $847 million
• Wisconsin Gambling Age: Bingo, lotteries and racing: 18 years / Wisconsin Casinos: 21 years
• Smoking ban: Wisconsin’s smoking ban exempts casinos
• Wisconsin Online gambling: Horse racing is the only form of legal online gambling.

Wisconsin Casino Locations: Green Bay, Turtle Lake, Odanah, Pulaski, Madison, Danbury, Webster, Carter, Crandon, Black River Falls, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Tomah, Baraboo, Hayward, Lac Du Flambeau, Bowler and Nekoosa. These are the most prominent locations players can find Wisconsin casinos and games.

The Wisconsin casino industry is large and healthy, despite not having that reputation. The state’s tribes took advantage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory and entered into agreements with the state. There are 22 Wisconsin casinos within the state borders currently operating.

Each city or county must agree to the development of casinos and the games offered. Most Wisconsin casinos are full service with slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and proprietary table games using cards. Eight of the casinos have a live poker room.

There are a few other forms of Wisconsin gambling. Horse racing is legal, but there are no active tracks. The same goes for betting on greyhounds. The only way to bet on a horse or dog race in Wisconsin is over the Internet.

There is a state lottery that sells traditional tickets for games. Nonprofit organizations may hold bingo games and sell raffle tickets.

Paying Gambling Taxes in Wisconsin

Did you know that your gambling income is taxable? OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos has gathered everything you need to know about paying taxes on your gambling winnings straight from a Certified Public Accountant. For more information please visit our exclusive Gambling Taxes article.

Wisconsin Casinos Map & Guide

• St. Croix Casino
• Ho-Chunk Gaming
• Oneida Casino
• Potawatomi Casino
• Lake of the Torches Resort Casino

• Number of B&M Casinos: 22
• Number of Poker Rooms: 8
• Number of Indian Casinos: 22

Types of Wisconsin Online Gambling Allowed

The only form of legalized gambling over the Internet in Wisconsin is off-track betting. This includes horses and dogs. All major off-track betting apps accept Wisconsin residents. These companies include TVG, TwinSpires, BetAmerica, and XpressBet.

Daily fantasy sports are in a gray area in Wisconsin. State gambling laws do not directly address the games. Companies like FanDuel, Yahoo!, CBS Sports, and DraftKings claim that their contests are skilled games and gambling laws do not apply. While many other states have contested this, Wisconsin has not. For now, the sites operate without any regulation. Any other sports betting site is clearly illegal in Wisconsin and operates without a license. The same goes for online poker and casino websites.

Types of Live Wisconsin Gambling

• Slots: Yes
• Blackjack: Yes
• Poker: Yes
• Craps/Roulette: Yes
• Horses: Yes
• Lottery: Yes

The biggest Wisconsin gambling attraction are the Tribal casinos located on reservations. Each Wisconsin casino offers slots and video poker, with most offering table games. Any form of table games is legal at Wisconsin casinos if the activity is approved through local referendum. This includes craps, roulette, blackjack, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Let it Ride, and Mississippi Stud. Live poker rooms are legal in any jurisdiction where table games are.

The Wisconsin Lottery sells scratch-off tickets, pull-tabs and has lotto drawings. These can be bought at more than 1,000 stores throughout the state. Charities can hold bingo nights and sell tickets to raffles that involve a prize.

Horse and greyhound racing are legal in Wisconsin. There are no active tracks. The tribal casinos put the racing industry out of business.

Wisconsin Gambling Laws

The minimum gambling age in Wisconsin is 18 years to play bingo, raffles, off-track betting and the lottery. Wisconsin casino minimum gambling age for players is 21 years old.

Wisconsin casinos must be located on Tribal reservations. Each tribe must enter into a gaming pact with the state and pay for licensing. Local jurisdictions must approve the form of gambling that takes place on the land. Most approve full-scale gambling that includes slots, video poker, and table games. A handful of counties only permit slots and other electronic games at casinos on reservations.

Charities may operate bingo games and raffles. The nonprofit organization must have been in existence for at least three years with legitimate charitable activities. Bingo may not be held more often than four out of five consecutive days. The maximum prize is $500 for any individual bingo contest. The prize pool for a bingo night may not cumulatively exceed $2,500.

Horse and greyhound racing are legal in Wisconsin. The tracks may operate off-track betting on both types of racing. Bets may also be accepted by phone, over the Internet or on mobile apps. There are no licensed Wisconsin tracks at this time. Several companies accept this type of action over the Internet.

The state lottery may only sell tickets through retailers and not over the Internet. Available games are scratch-off tickets, lotto drawings, and pull-tabs. The Wisconsin Lottery may join multi-state jackpot drawings for lotto games.

Most gambling crimes are misdemeanors. This includes participating as a player. Operating an illegal gambling establishment, distributing illegal gambling devices and bribing an athlete to throw a competition are all felonies.

List of Wisconsin Casinos

There are 22 Wisconsin casinos currently operating within the state. All are on Tribal reservation land. Below you will find the Wisconsin casino locations, website, and other information. For more detailed information, you can look at our Wisconsin casinos map.

There are more than 1,000 lottery retailers in Wisconsin. There are dozens of charities that spread bingo nights.

Wisconsin Gambling History

The first form of legalized gambling in Wisconsin was charity bingo. That occurred through a constitutional amendment in 1973. Raffles were added to the charity gaming law four years later.

Wisconsin voters approved two new forms of gambling in 1987. A state lottery was approved that year. The first ticket was sold the following year on September 14. Horse and dog racing were also legalized in 1987. The first track opened in 1990. At one point there were five tracks in operation in Wisconsin. Tribal casinos destroyed the demand for racing in the state. Dairyland Greyhound Park was the last to shutter. That happened on December 31, 2009.

Governor Tommy Thompson signed the first gaming compact with a tribe in 1992. A total of 11 pacts were signed that year.

Ho-Chunk Madison has been unable to secure approval from local voters to operate table games. The casino rolled out electronic poker tables in the mid-2000’s. The state sued the tribe in an attempt to have a judge declare the games to be illegal. The state prevailed. The games were removed in 2014. The decision was overturned but the tribe still decided to remove the devices.

Wisconsin Casino & Gambling FAQ

The minimum Wisconsin gambling age is 18 years for the lottery, charity gambling, and off-track betting . The minimum gambling age for Wisconsin casinos is 21 years.

Most Wisconsin casinos offer slots, video poker, electronic table games, roulette, craps, blackjack and other house-banked table games. Some casinos are limited to slots and video poker.

There are eight live poker rooms in Wisconsin.

Sites like DraftKings and FanDuel claim that daily fantasy sports contests are legal. The state has done nothing to refute that position.

Wisconsin Bingo License

Wisconsin players can buy scratch-off and lotto tickets, as well as pull-tabs from the Wisconsin Lottery.

Nonprofit organizations can operate bingo games and raffles.

Yes. All casinos are located on reservations in Wisconsin where state law does not apply. If casinos are ever approved commercially, state law exempts them from the smoking ban.

Pennsylvania Bingo Laws

No. None of these types of websites are licensed or legal in the state.