Wisconsin Online Sports Betting Appears Safe After Midterms

The Badger State’s plans to launch online sports betting appear safe for 2027.

On Tuesday, Wisconsin residents delivered key wins for Democrats statewide. This includes electing David Crowley as Governor and giving the party control of the state legislature for the first time since 2010. 

With Democrats and Governor Tony Evers leading the charge to launch a tribal run online sports betting market, these results signal that those efforts will remain unhindered. 

Tribal Negotiations Will Continue

When Wisconsin approved AB 601 in April, it didn’t directly legalize online sports betting. Instead, it granted Governor Evers the ability to negotiate a new gaming compact with the state’s 11 federally recognized tribes. 

Evers has already engaged in negotiations with the tribes, but no official agreements have been made. With Democrats continuing to hold the Governor’s office, it ensures the bill’s proponents will take over negotiations if an agreement isn’t reached by the end of Evers’ term.f

While some Republicans helped pass AB 601, several conservative groups and former lawmakers have spoken out against it. While Republican candidate for Governor Tom Tiffany never said he planned to stop negotiations with the tribes, pressure from his own party could have affected his ability to secure an agreement.

Concerns Over Tribal Profit Sharing

The election was a massive win for online sports betting proponents in Wisconsin, but it will add significant pressure on Democrats.

The language in AB 601 ensures that the state’s 11 tribes will keep over 50% of the profits if they choose to partner with a commercial sportsbook. The industry warned that major platforms would avoid Wisconsin if this requirement remains, leaving tribes to create and operate their own online sportsbooks.

Opponents of the bill argued it would significantly limit the state’s online market, leading residents to use low-quality platforms with watered-down odds and limited promotions. This could drive them to seek out sports prediction markets or even offshore sportsbooks to place their wagers.

Pressure Is On For Democrats

Despite bipartisan support for AB 601, Democrats will oversee the market's creation and eventual loss. This offers an opportunity, but also an incredibly high level of risk.

Conservatives who oppose the industry are not doing so without basis. The US has seen states launch online sports betting without commercial operators, and those states have vastly underperformed. 

Given the lack of online betting experience from the state’s 11 tribes, it seems unlikely they can build platforms that can match the likes of FanDuel and DraftKings. These platforms would also be limited to Wisconsin, meaning residents who travel won’t be able to access their sportsbook. 

Poor market performance would hurt Democrats, especially as the impact of problem gambling and other side effects of online sports betting is felt. While Crowley and other Democrats may not have been involved in this effort, it now falls to them to make it a success.