Milwaukee has found significant success as a sports town in recent years after several decades of mediocrity. The Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Championship and are now perennial contenders with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo committed to Milwaukee and locked in until at least the 26-27 season. The Brewers have also been fielding a competitive team in recent years, making the playoffs in four straight seasons from 2018 to 2021, before narrowly missing the playoffs in 2022, but bouncing back to win the Central Division last year. Sports betting has picked up among Milwaukee residents as the local teams continue to have success.
On this page I will look at the legality of sports betting in Milwaukee, recommend two betting sites for Milwaukee residents and touch on the progress of legal offline betting in the state of Wisconsin.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Milwaukee?
Yes, but in a very restricted, non-traditional way. In Wisconsin, federally recognized tribes have the ability to negotiate with the state to make amendments to their state compacts. Tribes that successful negotiate amendments allowing for sports betting can then legally operate sportsbooks under the jurisdiction of their individual tribe.
Currently there are three federally recognized tribes offering sports betting. The Oneida Indian Nation, Forest County Potawatomi Community, and St. Croix Chippewa have all amended their tribal compacts and offer in-person sports betting at several locations throughout the state.
All regulated sports bets in Wisconsin must be placed on reservation land or properties associated with the tribe offering the betting app (like the Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee).
Milwaukee residents also have the option to join and place bets through an offshore betting sites that are licensed and regulated outside of the United States. These sites accept Milwaukee residents and allow you to place bets from anywhere in the city/state (you don’t have to be on tribal land).
Best Betting Sites for Milwaukee Residents
- Built for American bettors
- Wide variety of competitive betting lines
- Easy to navigate betting platform
Bovada and BetOnline are the best two offshore betting sites currently accepting American players.
Bovada.lv is our top rated betting site for Milwaukee residents. Bovada is focused on the American sports betting market and they cater their bet offerings, bonuses, promotions, customer service and deposit/withdrawal options to best serve American players.
Bovada is the most popular online betting site for Americans. Check out our full review here.
Legal Offline Sports Betting in Milwaukee
Potawatomi Casino
The Potawatomi Casino in downtown Milwaukee opened a sportsbook in spring of 2023. There are over 70 self-service betting kiosks open 24/7, high definition televisions, and a full-service bar.
Pro Sports Teams in Milwaukee
Milwaukee is home to two professional sports teams from the big four North American sports leagues. The Milwaukee Brewers of the MLB and the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers have made the playoffs five of the past six seasons, but they have only won one playoff series in that span. The Brewers were established in 1969 and have been based in Milwaukee since 1970. In that entire history the Brewers have 0 World Series title and 0 National League Pennants. The team does have one American League Pennant from back in 1982 when the Brewers were apart of the American League, but it would be quite a feat for the city if the Brewers were able to win a World Series or even just the NLCS. The Brewers had only made the playoffs four times in their entire history prior to their four seasons streak from 2018 to 2021.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks were founded in 1968 and have been in Milwaukee for their entire history. The Bucks won the NBA Championship following the 2020-21 season. They have NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo locked up for a few more years, and they will be perennial contenders while he’s on the roster. The Bucks lost the Celtics in 7 games in 2022, and lost in the first round last year to the Heat in 5 games. The Bucks will look to make a deep run in 2024.
How To Bet On Online From Milwaukee
Follow this three step guide to place your sports bets online from anywhere in Milwaukee.
Step 1. Join Bovada.lv
Click the above link and complete the sign up form on the home page to open your account.
Step 2. Deposit
After logging into your account click the ‘Deposit’ link under your account drop down menu. Select your deposit method, enter the amount, and follow the instructions to fund your account.
Bovada accepts deposits via Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more.
Step 3. Place Your Bets
- Click ‘Sports’ from the top menu bar on the Bovada website.
- Select the sport you want to bet on from the ‘All Sports A-Z’ menu.
- Select the competition or league (MLB, NBA, etc.) you want to bet from the sport specific menu.
- Select the odds of the bet you want to make to add it to your Bet Slip.
- Enter your risk amount on the Bet Slip and click ‘Place Bet’ to make your wager.
Ready to bet from Milwaukee? Click here to visit Bovada.lv.