GREEN BAY, WI (WSAU) — Wisconsin’s first sportsbook at the Oneida Nation Casino in the Green Bay area is hoping to take its first bets in time for Thanksgiving football.
A report by the sports betting website Action Network indicates that the US Department of Interior has approved a modified gaming pact between the tribe and the state, clearing the way for in-person sports betting to come to Wisconsin.
Management at the Casino says they plan to open the facility as soon as they can get equipment in place and train staff on how to take the bets. They’d like to open sooner, but some of the elements are on backorder. They also plan to announce the third-party operating partner that will help run the book in the coming weeks.
The delay means that the book will likely miss on just over half of the lucrative NFL season and over 75% of the college football season, but will come online just in time for the college basketball season. Though the book will not take bets on any games involving Wisconsin colleges such as UW Madison, UW Green Bay, or Marquette. Bets on other Big Ten, Horizon League, and Big East squads will be taken.
The book also plans to take bets on NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS action as well as awards shows like the Primetime Emmys, Oscars, and Grammys.
It remains unclear if any of the state’s other tribal gaming facilities will jump on the sportsbook bandwagon in the future. The Oneida Nation pact does not contain any exclusive language, meaning it is possible that the Ho-Chunk, Potawatomi, or others could cut the same deal.
The deal between the tribe and the state does not allow for mobile bets. All wagers must be placed in person at the Green Bay-area casinos run by the tribe. They do plan to launch a mobile app that would work on GPS-enabled devices as long as the device is located within the casino.
