Gambling in Wisconsin is defined as a “bargain in which parties agree, dependent upon chance even though accompanied by some skill, one stands to win or lose something of value specified in the agreement.” With this in mind, whoever does any of the following commits the crime of gambling, a class B misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 fines and/or 90 days in jail:
Although horse racing is legal, there are no active tracks.
While many forms of gambling are prohibited in Wisconsin, bingo, raffles, pari-mutuel on-track betting, and the state lottery are legal types of gambling in Wisconsin. You must be at least 18 years old to play bingo, raffles, off-track betting, and the state-run lottery, and to gamble at a tribal casino, you must be at least 21 years old. Although these aren’t commercial casinos, state residents can and often do take advantage of Wisconsin’s local tribal casinos. Casinos must be located on tribal reservations, and as such, 11 federally recognized Indian tribes currently operate 22 casinos.
However, some types of gambling are legal in certain areas within the state. For starters, Wisconsin’s gambling laws do not compare to those in Las Vegas.
