Wisconsin: Oneida Casino opens permanent sportsbook; sets plans to launch mobile wagering

The Oneida Nation has opened its permanent sportsbook at Oneida Casino in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The new amenity was able to meet its expected launch prior to Super Bowl LVI, in an effort to meet NFL-driven wagering last Sunday, set to be the biggest single day for sports wagering in the year.

The venue opened on Friday, as casino officials sought to open by Super Bowl in an effort to tap on the revenue potential of the event, traditionally the most-bet day in the US. Executives claim that since sports gaming was launched at the Oneida Casino, on November 30, interest has built over time, increasing on a weekly basis.

"Playoffs start, we see that base, that customer base starting to grow week by week," Assistant Chief Financial Officer Chad Fuss said, according to NBC 26. "So the first weekend of playoffs we had a lot of foot traffic, a lot of event wagering going on, sports bet booking. The next week, we've seen that increase even more. The popularity of the NFL and leading up to the Super Bowl has been increasing every single week."

Sports betting kicked off at the Oneida Casino, and Wisconsin, in November, following a new gaming compact amendment with the state. Gamblers at the venue can bet on the state’s three pro sports teams -the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Brewers- and other sporting events, including college sports, except for Wisconsin college teams.

The legalization of the vertical is set to bring the market out of the shadows, plus provide guests with an additional source of entertainment. The market was supposed to launch in September, but it was pushed back due to a delay in the delivery of equipment. When it ultimately went live in November, it did so in a temporary location while the casino worked on moving betting to a sports bar on the casino’s east side.

Now, under its permanent arrangement, the sportsbook features foods and beverages, plus wall-to-wall television coverage of sporting events. The amenity is set not only to allow for wagering but to provide guests with a space in which to socialize and engage with sports.

"We want people to come and enjoy the Super Bowl," Fuss told NBC 26 on Friday. "If they choose to, we have a full bar, we have a full kitchen open. We have seating. We want you to come with your friends. It's really a social, entertainment experience we're trying to provide and we know the Super Bowl is one of them."

The executive further said that March Madness has garnered a significant amount of NCAA basketball betting through the sportsbook as well: managers hope for minimal dropoff in foot traffic between the two events. Fuss also claims that, since launch, the casino management has noticed a “diverse” crowd of bettors of all ages and levels of experience at the amenity.

The Oneida Nation has partnered with International Gaming Technology (IGT) for the software and infrastructure for the sportsbook, a system described by management as “user-friendly” for both employees and customers.

The Oneida’s status as the sole provider of sports gaming in Wisconsin is not set to last going forward, however, as other tribes are looking into getting a piece of the pie. Both the Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk nations have confirmed an interest in launching sportsbooks, while the St. Croix Ojibwe Nation has filed the necessary paperwork to go live.

Meanwhile, the Oneida Nation is also looking at the possibility of launching mobile sports betting through an app, Fuss told Green Bay Press Gazette. Users would only be able to place bets through the application while physically inside one of 10 tribally-owned commercial buildings on the reservation, with geofencing in place to prevent bets from outside the designated area.