Gaming law is generally the law that applies to the gaming or gambling industry, including casinos, lotteries, horse racing, dog racing, sports betting, card games, table games, social gambling, bingo, raffles, slot machines, scratch tickets, etc. Gaming law includes state and federal statutes, rules, and regulations—and legal principles from traditional areas of law, such as contract law, administrative law, constitutional law, criminal law, and regulatory law. For example, the federal statute prohibiting illegal gambling businesses is located at 18 U.S.C. §1955.

In Wisconsin, gaming law encompasses the regulation of various forms of gambling, including but not limited to casinos, state lotteries, horse racing, and charitable gaming such as bingo and raffles. The Wisconsin Department of Administration's Division of Gaming is responsible for overseeing the state's gaming regulations. Casinos in Wisconsin are generally operated by Native American tribes under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and the terms of compacts negotiated with the state. The state lottery is authorized by state law and offers a variety of games, including scratch tickets. Horse racing is permitted, but there are currently no active racetracks in Wisconsin. Sports betting is not legal in Wisconsin, except for limited forms of sports pools. Social gambling in private settings is allowed as long as the organizer does not profit from the game. The federal statute 18 U.S.C. §1955, which prohibits illegal gambling businesses, applies in Wisconsin as it does across the United States, and it works in conjunction with state laws to regulate the legality of various gambling operations.