Wisconsin's online sports betting case deferred to April 2027

A Waukesha County judge ruled Monday that oral arguments in the lawsuit challenging Wisconsin's online sports betting law will not be heard until April 20, 2027, with a decision expected shortly after.

Judge J. Arthur Melvin set the schedule after the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed suit on behalf of Brown County Taxpayers Association and Citizens Defending Liberty. The plaintiffs argue that expanding gambling to include online sports betting requires a voter referendum rather than a legislative grant to tribal operators.

Under Wisconsin's new law, federally recognized tribes route server data through land held in trust, allowing them to claim 60% of gross revenue from commercial partners under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Those commercial operators have told the court the revenue share is prohibitive and would effectively foreclose their participation in the market.

The plaintiffs' challenge does not seek to exclude commercial operators entirely. It contests the method of authorization — specifically, whether the legislature can expand gambling without putting the question to voters.