Wisconsin Right Now

  Professional sports teams and government officials promise tax revenue benefits when taxpayer subsidies are used to build new or renovation stadiums and arenas. But those benefits consistently do not come to fruition, according to a report from the Tax Foundation. The report is consistent with years of economic research showing the same. "The empirical evidence shows repeatedly that stadium subsidies fail to generate new tax revenue and new jobs or attract new businesses," said Adam Hoffer, Director of Excise Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation. "While attending a sporting event or a concert in a new, publicly subsidized venue might benefit fans of the team or those who attend the event, those subsidies shift spending that would have occurred in other parts of the city or state in the absence of a new sports stadium or arena." The report highlights 12 projects in cities across the U.S. that were proposed or approved in 2024, including a $2.4 billion sub