Gaming compact amendment

Hot on the heels of the Oneida Nation’s trailblazing entry into the Wisconsin sports betting market comes news the St. Croix Chippewa Indians will soon be following suit.

the right to take bets on both sports and non-sports events

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and St. Croix chairman William Reynolds inked a gaming compact amendment December 20, which will give the tribe the right to take bets on both sports and non-sports events.

Conference chairman for the National Indian Gaming Association Victor Rocha, shared the tribe’s news via Twitter:

The amendment is subject to a 45-day review by the U.S. Department of Interior. According to Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), the federal executive department will likely sign off on the amendment. This allows the tribe to host a sports wagering facility at its St. Croix Casino Turtle Lake and to roll out sports betting at its two other casinos: St. Croix Casino Danbury and St. Croix Casino Hertel.

The tribe will be able to take wagers on professional sports, but not on games involving college or high school teams. With an eye to launching by Super Bowl LVI on February 13, the tribe will work on related policies and procedures, construction, and the purchasing of kiosks.

Boost to Wisconsin industries

Governor Evers issued a statement Monday saying he was “grateful” to Reynolds and his tribal council for their input in negotiating the compact. “Event wagering will bring new opportunities for employment and revenue growth to the Tribe and provide a welcome boost to our recovering tourism and entertainment industries,” Evers added.

Reynolds concurred with Evers, saying the compact “means a lot” economically to the tribe, while also boosting “tourism in our counties that our casinos reside in.”

The gaming compact amendment gives bettors the chance to wager remotely on tribal land or within tribal properties located on land held in trust by the federal government. The tribe’s other business interests in the region include campgrounds and RV parks.

Reynolds, however, said only in-person betting will on the table initially. This is because the tribe still has to work on its geo-tracking in order to confirm bettors using their mobiles or online devices are actually on tribal property when wagering remotely.

Another tribe in the mix

According to WPR, the Forest County Potawatomi is one other Wisconsin tribe going after a gaming compact change similar to the St. Croix’s, in order to join the state’s sports betting market.

The Oneida Nation were the first Wisconsin tribe to blaze a sports betting trail. On November 30, state bingo stalwarts Sandra Brehmer and Alma Webster placed the state’s first ever legal sports wagers at Oneida Casino’s sportbook.