Poker is legal on reservations in Wisconsin provided local jurisdictions approve live card games. One community that has casinos but does not allow live poker is Madison, which is home to the University of Wisconsin. Madison casinos offer Pokertek’s PokerPro tables. No limit games are legal in Wisconsin. Poker rooms on the west side of the state draw players from Minnesota and the Dakotas where there are certain bet limits.
Is Online Poker Legal in Wisconsin?
Online poker is not regulated in Wisconsin. There are no laws that make it legal or illegal, although like most states, operating an unlicensed poker room is not allowed. This does not stop all U.S. online poker rooms from servicing Wisconsin players.
Playing Online Poker as a WI Resident
Bovada is our top choice for Wisconsin online poker. It is a member of the Bodog Poker Network and is the largest online poker network to accept Wisconsin players. There are between 2500 and 3000 cash game players each evening and hundreds more playing sit and gos and tournaments. New players will receive a 100% up to $1,000 first deposit bonus. Players may use points to enter into major guaranteed tournaments held nightly.
Bovada offers some unusual features using its Recreational Player Model. These include anonymous tables where players are assigned a number correlating with their seat in both cash games and tournaments. Full Tables are not displayed in the lobby. That means there are no waitlists either. This helps keep new tables launching all day and existing tables that become shorthanded from breaking.
**UPDATE** Bovada.LV has temporarily halted new signups in the USA; existing accounts will continue to function as usual, with cash out times still being within 1 to 2 weeks.
- Another great option is Americas Cardroom, which is a member of the Winning Poker Network. It is the second largest online poker room available in Wisconsin. There is a 100% up to $1,000 first deposit bonus. A monthly points race called TheBeast give hundreds of players the chance to split prize pools well into the six figures. A Bad Beat Jackpot is also offered where a player hits if quad 8’s or better lose. TheBeast and Bad Beat Jackpot tables take an extra rake. There are also non-jackpot tables available, although they are less popular.
Where Can You Play Live Poker in Wisconsin?
St. Croix (Turtle Lake) – St. Croix is the closest casino to Minnesota’s Twin Cities. It is the closest poker room for No Limit Hold’em for most Minnesota players. The 12 tables at St. Croix often have 1/2 No Limit Texas Hold’em action. There are also some low limit games with a fixed limit structure. There are three tournaments scheduled each week.
Potawatomi (Milwaukee) – This 20-table poker room spreads No Limit and Fixed Limit Texas Hold’em. There are three weekly $110 No Limit Hold’em tournaments. It’s one of the more active poker rooms in the state right now and has a great local player base.
Ho-Chunk (Madison) – This 8-table poker room uses all electronic Pokertek tables. Unlike many other Wisconsin poker rooms, Ho-Chunk’s minimum age is 18. This is beneficial for the younger players who want to take a break from playing online so much and want to hone in their skills at the live tables.
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