Evers Signs Bills on Online Betting, NIL, Child Protection

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed several bills into law this week, including measures to legalize online sports betting, support name, image and likeness compensation for University of Wisconsin student athletes, and strengthen efforts against internet crimes targeting children.

The most significant legislation, Assembly Bill 601, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 247, expands sports betting in the state by allowing online and mobile wagering, making Wisconsin the 33rd state to permit the practice since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision struck down a federal ban. Previously, sports betting had been available only in person at tribal casinos since 2021. Under the new law, bets can be placed by users anywhere in Wisconsin as long as the servers managing them are located on tribal lands, following a hub-and-spoke model similar to Florida's. This structure aligns with the Wisconsin Constitution, which requires all legal gambling to be overseen by the state's 11 federally recognized tribes.

Evers signed the bill despite a turbulent legislative path, marked by delays and opposition from some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as major sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel....