Wisconsin Gov. and St. Croix tribe sign deal to allow sports and events betting

The St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin and Gov. Tony Evers on Monday signed a new compact amendment, which will permit event wagering at St. Croix casinos in the state. 

The gambling expansion allows casinos and affiliate locations in Wisconsin to offer event wagering on sports and non-sports. The amendment has now been sent to the U.S. Department of Interior for a 45-day review, reports CBS Minnesota. It is expected to be approved.

“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,” Gov. Evers said, as he signed the compact together with tribal Chairman William Reynolds.

The St Croix tribe has already begun construction of a large sportsbook facility within its Turtle Lake Casino. The amendment also allows for remote event wagering on land owned by the tribe, or held in trust for the tribe by the federal government, that houses a commercial building owned or leased by the tribe.

“We are in exciting times here at St. Croix. The addition of sports wagering at the St. Croix Casinos will give our tribe the ability to give our customers the most comprehensive gaming experience in the state of Wisconsin,” Reynolds said.

The new compact between the St. Croix and the state followed months of negotiations between the tribe and the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s (DOA) Division of Gaming. The amendment was voted on by the St. Croix Tribal Council on November 30.

“We are grateful to be able to work closely with the St. Croix Chippewa leadership on this agreement and look forward to continuing our partnership in support of this gaming compact for the benefit of the Tribe and the state,” said DOA Secretary Joel Brennan.

The DOA’s Office of Indian Gaming and Regulatory Compliance (OIGRC), which currently conducts on-site audits of casino operations, will have oversight to ensure regulatory compliance and the integrity of event wagering under the amended compact.

The amendment follows an agreement, signed earlier this year, by Gov. Evers and the Oneida Nation, which allows event wagering at affiliated casinos in Green Bay. This compact deal was the first to allow bettors in Wisconsin to wager on sports.

The sports betting market went live in late November through Oneida Nation’s sportsbook inside the tribe’s main casino, near Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport. It became the first location in the state where people can legally wager on professional and college sporting events, except those featuring Wisconsin-based colleges.