AB 601 / 2025 Wisconsin Act 247
Assembly Bill 601, signed into law as 2025 Wisconsin Act 247 on April 9, 2026, is the foundational statute that legalized statewide sports betting in Wisconsin. It made Wisconsin the 33rd U.S. state to authorize sports wagering and laid the groundwork for online betting through the state’s tribal compacts.
Legislative Path
- October 2025: AB 601 introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly, then briefly suspended amid debate
- February 19, 2026: Wisconsin Assembly passes AB 601 by voice vote
- March 17, 2026: Wisconsin Senate passes AB 601 by 21-12 vote
- April 9, 2026: Governor Tony Evers signs AB 601 into law as 2025 Wisconsin Act 247
What the Law Does
- Authorizes statewide mobile sports betting through Wisconsin’s federally recognized tribes under updated Class III gaming compacts
- Adopts the hub-and-spoke model in which mobile wagers are deemed to legally occur on tribal land as long as the sportsbook server is located on a reservation
- Continues the existing in-person retail sports-betting authority that tribes received in 2021
- Maintains the 21+ minimum age for all sports wagering
- Prohibits wagering on in-state college teams (Wisconsin Badgers, Marquette Golden Eagles, etc.)
What Has to Happen Before Online Launch
- Each of Wisconsin’s 11 federally recognized tribes must negotiate an updated gaming compact with the state that includes mobile sports-betting provisions
- The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs must approve each updated compact
- Tribes must build out the technical infrastructure; geolocation, age/identity verification, server placement on tribal land
Earliest realistic launch: 2027.
Who Supported the Bill
- The Milwaukee Brewers testified publicly in favor
- Multiple Wisconsin tribes united in asking Governor Evers to sign
- Supporters argued Wisconsinites were already wagering via offshore sportsbooks, prediction markets, or by crossing into Illinois; and that the state was missing tax revenue earmarked for mental health and opioid programs
Who Opposed
The Sports Betting Alliance (FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, bet365, Fanatics) opposed AB 601, arguing the tribal-compact framework is financially unattractive because IGRA requires 60% of gambling revenues to go back to tribes. The SBA prefers a constitutional amendment opening Wisconsin to commercial operators; that path is not on the immediate legislative calendar.
How It Compares
Wisconsin’s approach mirrors Florida’s hub-and-spoke compact model with the Seminole Tribe, rather than the open-commercial-market model used in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Michigan.