Wisconsin Online Casinos – An Inside Look At The Badger State’s Casino Gambling Industry
With upwards of 25 brick-and-mortar Indian casinos in Wisconsin, the state is actually among the more gambling-friendly areas in America. That said, the Wisconsin casino list is strictly limited to WI Indian casinos, and these are exclusively in-person gambling venues. Of course, if you want to play at a legitimate Wisconsin online casino, you still can, because there are several such venues that operate outside of WI and US borders.
Because of their locations in international gambling jurisdictions, these sites are legal and safe to use, and they give you a unique – and uniquely convenient and varied – gaming experience. You may think you already know all the best casinos in Wisconsin, but until you play online, believe us – you don’t.
★ Top Rated Online Casino For Wisconsin Players For 2024
Bovada – Win Some Cheddar In The Cheese State
Bovada isn’t the oldest online casino in WI, but by most measures, players seem to agree that it’s the best online casino in WI. With over 250 RNG electronic casino slots and table games to choose from – plus another 30 or so online live-dealer casino games – Bovada LV is like having Las Vegas in the palm of your hand.
Of course, Bovada offers more than just online casino gambling. With a full online Wisconsin sportsbook, several online WI poker rooms with cash games and major tournaments, and even an online WI horse racing betting portal, you can bet on literally everything these it to bet on at Bovada.
State residents who sign up today can score Bovada’s famous $3000 casino welcome bonus, and if you deposit in crypto, you can pump that up to $3750 in online casino Bovada free plays!
- Established 2011 + Based in Costa Rica
- 250+ online casino games
- 30+ live-dealer casino games
- Bovada Bitcoin/crypto supported
- Bovada Vouchers/MatchPay accepted
- 1 Account for Casino, Sports, Poker, Horses
- All WI residents welcome (18+)
Is Online Gambling Legal In Wisconsin?
Yes! Online gambling is absolutely legal in WI, provided that you bet online only with a reputable offshore operator. Domestic online casinos are not likely to be authorized any time soon, (particularly given the slow rollout of online WI sports betting since its authorization over two years ago).
Frankly, we think it’s unlikely that online casino gambling in Wisconsin will be a domestic reality anytime within the next decade or so.
That said, online WI casinos that are hosted and operate offshore – that is, outside both WI and USA borders – are legal to use, as there are no Wisconsin gambling laws or WI casino laws barring resident access to such venues. Similarly, there aren’t any federal US gambling laws that make it a crime for individual players to participate in real-money online casino gambling with international operators.
Legal Wisconsin Gambling Age
The legal age to gamble in Wisconsin is 18+ for the Wisconsin Lottery, local bingo halls, charitable gambling events (raffles, pull-tabs, etc.), and similar “Class II” style fare. The Wisconsin casino age is 21+ for all tribal venues with Vegas-style Class III amusements, and the limited WI sports betting options also require players to be 21 and up.
Of course, most of the best online WI casino sites and betting venues we recommend here have set their player age minimums to 18 and over for all markets, so these online venues are still a bit more flexible in the WI gambling age department.
Are There Legal WI Online Casinos That Are Safe To Play At?
Yes, there are! And while no domestic WI casino is legally authorized to offer online casino games for real money, online casino sites that operate overseas are.
And, naturally, the honey badger don’t care if you bet real money online with these operators, and the Wisconsin badger doesn’t, either. Of course, making sure you choose the best possible venue is pretty critical if you don’t want to badger your bankroll.
To that end, it’s important that you pick not only a legal Wisconsin online casino, but that the online WI gambling site you choose employs all Internet gaming best practices (as the WI casino sites recommended here do):
Wisconsin Mobile Casinos
All the top sites that serve WI players with real-money casinos and the best online gambling games do so primarily via mobile. These days, mobile casino gambling is the main way people play, with better than 80% of all cheeseheads packing as much action in on the small screen as possible.
Of course, any existing casino in WI at the retail level – or, for that matter, any new casino in Wisconsin that opens as an in-person tribal venue – can’t offer mobile casino action. This, obviously, is a major drawback for the domestic market. Especially during the winter.
Seriously, when there’s a blizzard out there, you probably don’t want to drive anywhere to play a few hands of blackjack or spend an hour or two at your favorite retail Wisconsin slot machine. If only there were another way. And there is!
Mobile gambling at international WI casino sites is the only way to go – even when you’re staying put. The Internet’s best casinos in Wisconsin, as featured here, all have web-based mobile gaming portals. There are no iPhone casino apps or Android casino apps to download or update, as everything is 100% accessible through any modern web browser.
All you need is the mobile device you already use (and that you’re probably using right now to read this guide!), an Internet connection, and a membership at any top-rated WI online casino. And with no geofencing, you can even access all the games and betting markets you love from outside WI borders. If you’re a snowbird, that’s especially useful, since all these sites are legal in Florida, too!
Online Casino Games In Wisconsin
If you’ve ever gambled at any of the tribal Wisconsin casinos, you probably already have a selection of favorite games to play. And while the WI online casino games may not be exactly the same as those at the best WI online casinos recommended here, they’re made by casino software brands that are every bit as reputable and renowned as the designers who build the games for brick-and-mortar WI casinos.
In most cases, the electronic online slots and table games play pretty much identically to their retail counterparts, and they’ve even got similar themes. Just don’t be surprised if you end up liking these online RNG-certified games even better than your local options!
- Online Slot Machines (3-Reel, 5-Reel, 6-Reel)
- Online Specialty Slots (3D, iSlots/Interactive Slots)
- Online Progressive Slot Games
- Online Blackjack (Single-Deck, Double-Deck, 6-Deck, 8-Deck)
- Online Roulette (American + European)
- Online Baccarat
- Online Super 6 (aka Online Mini-Bac)
- Online Video Poker Games
- Online Keno Games
- Online Craps Games
- Online Bingo Games
- Online Lotteries + Raffles + Scratchers
- Online Live Casino Games
Pro-Tip: Most of the legit online casinos for state residents we recommend here offer free online casino games. To play these online casino games for free, simply select the “demo” or “practice” modes from the game menus for the titles in question, and play all you like. To access paid mode, a flip of the switch will have you betting real cash again.
Wisconsin Online Live-Dealer Casino Games
Like everywhere else, most gamblers in America’s Dairyland prefer to “spill the milk” at Wisconsin slot machines. Slots are the most popular gambling games of all, and that’s true no matter where you are. But slot machines in WI retail casinos are just like WI slots online inasmuch as they’re “single-player” games.
If you want to play a casino game with others – particularly if you want to play in front of a real dealer or croupier – live casino table games are the only games in town. And for the longest, these live games were the exclusive domain of proper in-person Wisconsin casinos.
However, these days, technology has progressed far enough that every reputable online casino offers live-dealer games as a matter of course. Live gambling in Wisconsin is now just a few taps and swipes away, no matter where you are!
With live-streaming audio and video technology, live online WI casinos allow players to pull up a digital seat to the real casino felts and feel every shuffle, flip, and spin in real-time. Plus, because players can all chat with each other – and the house – as they play, the social element that used to be restricted to in-person casinos in the state is now available to every live-dealer player online.
It’s also worth noting that WI live casino games feature free spectator modes, unlimited bet-behinds when the tables are full, and betting limits perfect for every level of online WI gambler.
- Live Dealer Blackjack
- Live Dealer Roulette
- Live Dealer Baccarat
- Live Dealer Super 6
Note: Live online casino games are paid amusements only, which means you can’t actually play live-dealer casino games for free. Additionally, most sites don’t allow betting action at the live-dealer casino tables to contribute to any active online casino bonus rollover requirements.
Brick-And-Mortar Casinos In Wisconsin
We love playing online casino games, but there’s no denying the charm of the many Wisconsin Indian casinos throughout the state. No matter where we are, our trusty Wisconsin casino map can always be relied upon to point us toward a good time that’s relatively close by.
It doesn’t matter whether we’re near a casino in Milwaukee, a few miles from the casinos in Madison, or cruising around casinos near La Crosse – whether we’re seeking out casinos in northern Wisconsin or southern Wisconsin – we’re never too far from the best casinos in the state.
Of course, we say “best casinos” – plural – because if we had to choose the single best casino in WI, we really couldn’t do it. Just about every venue (at least, every Class III venue) has its high points, and our one requirement is that when we make a trip of it, we generally only stick with casinos in Wisconsin with hotels. We like the all-inclusive thing, and we doubt we’re alone in that.
Gambling Resources For Wisconsin Residents
Our brief guide to casino gambling in WI should answer most of your questions regarding state gaming laws. However, if you feel like you need more information before jumping into legal online WI gambling, we suggest visiting the following links to the current Wisconsin Statutes and other relevant destinations.
- WI Statutes Ch. 945 - “Gambling”
- WI Statutes Ch. 562-569 – Covers WI horse racing betting, WI bingo, WI raffles, the Wisconsin Lottery, and WI Indian gaming.
- 562 – “Regulation of racing and on-track pari-mutuel wagering”
- 563 – “Bingo and raffle control”
- 565 – “State lottery”
- 569 – “Indian gaming”
- Wisconsin DOA: Gaming – State agency in charge of overseeing the integrity of Wisconsin Indian gambling and charitable gambling. Equivalent to a Wisconsin gambling commission or Wisconsin gaming control board.
- Wisconsin Indian Casino Compacts – Federal Register index (select “Wisconsin” from the US State drop menu to view all prior and current Wisconsin tribal gambling compacts)
Gambling should always be enjoyed responsibly, and you should never risk more than you can afford to lose. If you find that you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, assistance is available for free through the Wisconsin chapter of the National Council on Problem Gambling.