Legal Gambling Age In Wisconsin
An Overview Of The Gambling Laws In The State Of Wisconsin
- Legal Gambling Age In Wisconsin
- Legal Gambling Age In Wisconsin For Casinos
- What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Wisconsin
If it were not for the Tribal casinos and the wide ranging compacts with the State allowing the full range of casino games – Wisconsin would be a barren place for gamblers. There are some curious laws here, with pari-mutuel betting legal on-track, except there are no tracks to bet at. You can enjoy lottery and charity bingo games though, and poker players are well looked after on the Indian reservations too. This article gives you a detailed overview of the Wisconsin Gambling laws.
Legal Wisconsin Gambling Age The minimum age for participating in any form of gambling is 18. Online Gambling in Wisconsin Wisconsin is no different to the majority of the states when it comes to its laws (or lack thereof) pertaining to the legality of online gambling. Gambling activities on reservation and federal trust lands. As a result, 11 Indian tribes and bands currently operate gaming facilities in 23 locations, including both gambling casinos and satellite sites offering electronic gaming devices. This paper describes all forms of legal gambling under both state law and the state-tribal gaming compacts. Wisconsin’s minimum gambling age ranges from 18 to 21 depending on what type of bet is being placed. At 18, residents and visitors can enjoy tribal casino gambling at 2/24 venues, lotteries, pull-tabs, and scratch-offs, and parimutuel wagering – though the industry is shut down.
First of all below you’ll find a history and status of gambling in Wisconsin in quick-fire format. Next I have gone through the different forms of gambling and outlined the legal status of each one. After that some more detail is provided, with excerpts from the Wisconsin statutes, plus a legal timeline. At the end of this page you will find summary and a look at possible future scenarios for gambling in this State.
Wisconsin Gambling Laws – A Brief History
When the Wisconsin statutes were created in 1848, the standard stance at the time was anti-gambling. This is the reason we have a blanket ban on all forms of gambling on the books, with only gradual carve-outs for individual types of gambling occurring over the years.
First to be legalized was limited charity gambling, with bingo and raffle type games allowed under these rules. These games are controlled in terms of their frequency and the maximum prizes offered, and require individual licenses. Wisconsin also has an active lottery, which includes inter-State games – though does not offer video lottery terminal games.
Pari-Mutuel betting was late to Wisconsin, not starting until 1987, while many States were enjoying the extra revenue which came from this to build up their horse racing industries since the 1930’s. There were both horse and greyhound racing tracks in this State for many years, however these went into decline, and the last one was closed in 2009. The law now allows betting only at racetracks, only there are no racetracks to bet at any more. There have been attempts to turn the disused racetracks into casinos by some of the native tribes – these have been rejected by the State.
Tribal casinos make up the bulk of the opportunities to legally gamble in Wisconsin. There are 11 tribes, and following the Federal Indian Gaming Regulation Act of 1998, they entered into negotiations with the State. Compacts were signed in 1991 and 1992. These included class 3 games (table games like blackjack and also poker rooms) which allowed the tribes to find investment and build some lavish casino complexes around the State. There have been legal disputes on and off since then, however the compacts remain in place and Indian gaming continues to thrive.
Poker players can enjoy card rooms with up to 50 tables in Wisconsin. Outside of these rooms there are zero legal opportunities to play. Charitable gambling does not include poker, and home-games are not carved out under the statutes – making these illegal, even if nobody is profiting from running the games. While there is regular enforcement activity against illegal gambling, small stakes social home games are definitely not the target.
What Types Of Gambling Are Currently Legal?
Casino Games: Yes, there are 11 tribal casinos in the State of Wisconsin where you can enjoy the full range (class 3) of casino games. There are no commercial (non-tribal) casinos.
Online Casinos: No, as is the norm, the statutes pre-date the internet, though are considered to have broad enough definitions of gambling to cover online casino gambling.
Live Poker: Yes, you can play live poker at the Indian casinos, including tournaments. Home-games are not exempted under Wisconsin laws like they are in other States. While technically speaking your small stakes social game is illegal – enforcement of this kind of game appears very rare.
Online Poker: No, there are no public discussions about the regulation of poker at this time, and this is assumed to be covered by the core statutes at the moment.
Sports Betting: Yes, you can bet on horse races and greyhound races on track – except there are no horse or greyhound races to bet on in this State – a catch-22.
Lottery Betting: Yes, there is a lottery, the games on offer were limited after legal changes in 1992.
Legal Gambling Age In Wisconsin
Bingo Games: Yes, charity gambling laws cover low-stakes bingo and raffle games.
Wisconsin Gambling Laws – Statutes And Legal Timeline
Legal Gambling Age In Wisconsin For Casinos
Though the tribal casinos give residents a lot of gambling opportunities in Wisconsin, without these the place would be pretty quiet for gamblers. The core definition of the Statute, created at a time when gambling was seen as immoral and something to be blanket banned, focuses on the ‘bet’. In addition there are laws against allowing gambling to take place on your property and even entering a gambling location with the intent to make a bet.
Here is the key passage concerning betting:
[su_quote]A bet is 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. (From 945.01)[/su_quote]
Note that the chance / skill debate is pre-empted by this quote, making it harder to argue that poker should be exempt. It is possible to make the skill game case, however there will always be an element of chance.
Here is the unusual part of the Wisconsin statutes, entering a venue with the intention of gambling:
[su_quote]Enters or remains in a gambling place with intent to make a bet, to participate in a lottery, or to play a gambling machine;[/su_quote]
Below are some of the key milestones from the legal history of Wisconsin:
1973: Charitable gambling made legal, this includes bingo and raffle type games.
1987: Pari-mutuel betting made legal on horse and greyhound racing. While on-track betting remains legal (including live simulcast betting) there are no longer any racetracks to bet at, with the last one (Dairyland Greyhound Park) closing its doors in 2009.
1988: First lottery tickets sold, after this was signed into law a year earlier. In 1992, the lottery was restricted to pull-tab and scratch-off games and a numbers drawing game which takes place online, limiting the scope for VLTs. 2009 saw Wisconsin join the PowerBall and Mega Millions.
1991 / 1992: Compacts were signed with the 11 tribes wishing to host casinos on their land, these allowed class 3 gaming, which covers all the casino table games as well as slots.
2007: Last known attempt to legislate casino gaming on non-tribal land was vetoed by Governor Kim Doyle.
Wisconsin Gambling Laws – Summary And Key Statutes
There are sporadic attempts to introduce State legislated gambling in Wisconsin, though none of them make it as far as a vote. The status-quo of letting the tribes handle the gambling has been in effect since the 1990’s – and shows no sign of changing any time soon.
I can see no specific reason why Wisconsin would not legislate for intra-State poker should this be a success elsewhere. At the same time it is difficult to see where the drive to do this could come from, despite Indian tribes showing some interest.
Useful Resources:
Nice Summary / History
- http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/publications/Informational-Papers/Documents/2013/88_Tribal%20Gaming%20in%20Wisconsin.pdf
State Laws Summary
Statutes In Detail
Fun Article On Rubber Duck Racing
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/18/wisconsin-rubber-duck-bill_n_4811340.html
Introduction to Wisconsin Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Wisconsin slot machine casino gambling consists of 24 tribal casinos. Illegal video gambling machines exist in bars and taverns throughout Wisconsin.
Tribal-state gaming compacts have minimum and maximum theoretical payout limits. Annual return statistics are publicly available for all tribal casinos.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Wisconsin*
The minimum legal gambling age in Wisconsin depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 21
- Poker Rooms: 18
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
Tribal casinos in Wisconsin have negotiated tribal-state gaming compacts. However, each city or county must agree to both the development of a local tribal casino as well as the games offered at its site.
Further, many bars and taverns in Wisconsin have illegal video gaming machines. Having up to five machines results in civil forfeiture without legal repercussion while more than five machines are, instead, a criminal offense.
Anyone playing pay-to-play, bar-based slot machines must be at least 21. Otherwise, owners break a different law, this one having severe legal consequences for their business.
Electronic gaming machines in bars and taverns which are free to play with no prizes of any value are not illegal under Wisconsin’s gaming regulations.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Wisconsin
It is legal to own a slot machine privately in Wisconsin if it is 25 years old or older.
Gaming Control Board in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s Gaming Division has gaming regulatory responsibilities including:
- Licensing procedures
- Background investigations
- Regulatory enforcement activities
The Division’s area of focus for tribal gaming is the Office of Indian Gaming and Regulatory Compliance created by tribal-state gaming compacts. The Office’s purpose is to ensure regulation of Class III games at casinos operated by Wisconsin’s eleven tribes.
Casinos in Wisconsin
There are 24 American Indian tribal casinos in Wisconsin.
The largest casino in Wisconsin is Potawatomi Hotel & Casino with over 2,500 slot machines.
The second-largest casino is Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells with 2,200 slot machines.
What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Wisconsin
Commercial Casinos in Wisconsin
There are no commercial casinos in Wisconsin.
Tribal Casinos in Wisconsin
There are 24 tribal casinos in Wisconsin:
- Bad River Lodge Casino in Odanah, 45 miles east of Duluth.
- Grindstone Creek Casino in Hayward, 140 miles northeast of Minneapolis.
- Ho-Chunk Gaming Black River Falls, 110 miles northwest of Madison.
- Ho-Chunk Gaming Nekoosa, 50 miles north of Wausau.
- Ho-Chunk Gaming Tomah, 81 miles north of Madison.
- Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells in Baraboo, 40 miles northwest of Madison.
- Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg, 30 miles east of Wausau.
- Lake of the Torches Resort Casino in Lac du Flambeau, 225 miles north of Green Bay.
- Legendary Waters Resort & Casino in Red Cliff, 80 miles east of Duluth, Minnesota.
- Menominee Casino Resort in Keshena, 40 miles northwest of Green Bay.
- Mole Lake Casino & Lodge in Mole Lake, 100 miles northwest of Green Bay.
- North Star Mohican Casino Resort in Bowler, 55 miles northwest of Green Bay.
- Oneida Casino – Irene Moore Activity Center (IMAC) in Green Bay.
- Oneida Casino – Main-Airport in Green Bay.
- Oneida Casino – One-Stop Packerland in Green Bay.
- Oneida Casino – Travel Center in Pulaski, 12 northwest of Green Bay.
- Oneida Casino – W. Mason in Green Bay.
- Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee
- Potawatomi Carter Casino Hotel in Wabeno, 85 miles north of Green Bay.
- Sevenwinds Casino, Lodge & Convention Center in Hayward, 75 miles southeast of Duluth, Minnesota.
- St. Croix Casino – Danbury, 62 miles south of Duluth near the border to Minnesota
- St. Croix Casino – Hertel in Webster, 83 miles south of Duluth near the border to Minnesota.
- St. Croix Casino – Turtle Lake, 76 miles northeast of Minneapolis near the border to Minnesota.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Wisconsin slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Wisconsin is:
- North: Michigan Slots
- East: Lake Michigan
- South: Illinois Slots
- West: Iowa Slots and Minnesota Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Wisconsin.
Our Wisconsin Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Wisconsin? If so, join our Wisconsin slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Wisconsin. Join us!
Payout Returns in Wisconsin
Written into Wisconsin’s tribal-state gaming compacts are minimum and maximum theoretical payout limits. These limits apply over the expected lifetime of the game.
Each tribal-state compact has set minimum and maximum payout limits. However, there are two sets of limits, both of which apply over the expected lifetime of the game:
- Games-of-chance (slot machines): 80% and 100%
- Games-of-skill video games (poker, blackjack, etc.): 83% and 103%
For each machine, tribal casinos report to the state both its theoretical payout and actual return statistics. However, this valuable information is not available to the public.
An annual return statistic is publicly available for all tribal casinos combined in Wisconsin, although casino hold% comes from dividing Tribal Net Win by Handle Data. Player win% is from subtracting hold% from 100%.
In 2019, the most recent year available, the annual return statistic was 92.76%. This player win% is up from 2017’s 92.48% and 2018’s 92.61%.
Summary of Wisconsin Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Wisconsin slot machine casino gambling consists of 24 tribal casinos. Illegal gaming machines exist at many bars and taverns, but only five or more machines results in a criminal offense.
Tribal-state gaming compacts have established two sets of theoretical payout limits, including minimum and maximums. For games-of-chance such as slot machines, these limits are 80% and 100%. The 2019 return statistic was 92.76%.
Annual Progress in Wisconsin Slot Machine Casino Gambling
In the last year, there has been no significant changes to the slots gaming industry in Wisconsin.
Related Articles from Professor Slots
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: West Virginia Slot Machine Casino Gambling
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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC