Evers signs law letting tribes offer statewide mobile betting

Gov. Tony Evers signed Assembly Bill 601 on Thursday, clearing the way for Wisconsin’s 11 federally recognized tribes to offer online sports betting statewide to people 21 and older once tribal compact amendments receive state and U.S. Department of the Interior approval. Mobile wagering apps must route bets to gaming servers located on tribal land.

Under the law, apps tied to tribal servers could operate across Wisconsin, from Kenosha to Superior. Until now, legal sports betting in the state has been limited to in-person sportsbooks at tribal casinos for more than four years.

Tribal nations must renegotiate their gaming compacts with the state and obtain the Department of the Interior’s sign-off before mobile betting can begin. Lawmakers set no launch date; officials and tribal negotiators will determine timing during compact negotiations.

Evers urged the tribes to coordinate their approach and expressed support for a joint venture or similar agreement. In his signing statement he wrote that he would not accept a plan that would fracture the opportunity and leave some tribes with only “crumbs.” He called for a framework that allows every tribe to participate in shaping sports betting terms.

Brooks Boyd, chairman of the Forest County Potawatomi Community, hailed the legislation as respectful of tribal sovereignty and said it keeps economic benefits within Wisconsin. Boyd characterized the bill as a step toward a responsible regulatory framework for mobile sports betting in the state.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act requires that tribes be the primary beneficiaries of gaming conducted on their land, a standard often interpreted to mean tribes should receive a large majority of gaming revenue-commonly cited around 60% or more. Because sports betting typically yields lower revenue per wager than casino games, that revenue-share expectation has been a point of debate in compact discussions.

Representatives of major online operators including DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel previously opposed AB 601 through the Sports Betting Alliance, arguing to lawmakers that routing sports betting through tribal compacts could limit app availability and competitive pricing. Company representatives did not immediately provide comment.

AB 601 passed the Wisconsin Senate on March 17 by a 21-12 vote after earlier approval in the Assembly. A majority of the state’s tribes indicated support for the bill during the final legislative days, and multiple tribal governments submitted letters urging the governor to sign the measure.

Operational decisions now rest with tribal-state negotiations and federal review. Tribes will need to decide whether to create shared platforms or negotiate individual partnerships with app operators, how to divide revenue among tribes, and how to structure technical systems so wagers are processed on tribal land. State and federal regulators will address consumer protections, age and identity verification, geolocation rules and how mobile offerings will interact with existing casino sportsbooks.

Once compact amendments are drafted and receive both state and federal approval, Wisconsin will join 32 states and the District of Columbia that allow statewide online sports wagering. Only after those approvals will Wisconsin residents be able to place bets on mobile apps tied to tribal gaming servers.