- Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers renegotiated the tribal compact with the Oneida Nation to allow sports betting.
- Currently, only the Oneida would be allowed to do so, with no other tribes included in the compact.
- The compact must be reviewed by the United States Department of the Interior.
MADISON, Wisc. - Wisconsin could be one of the next states to allow for sports betting within its borders.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a renegotiated tribal gaming compact with the Oneida Nation that would allow for sports betting on their properties.
The state itself did not approve of sports betting per se - there will not be any state-run or state-regulated sports betting.
There will, however, be sports betting at the Oneida Nation’s casino in the state - as long as the renegotiated compact is approved by the United States Department of the Interior.
“I’m grateful to Chairman Hill and the Oneida General Tribal Council for their partnership on this historic compact amendment,” said Evers. “The Oneida Casino is a critical source of revenue and employment for Oneida Nation and this expansion will bring new opportunities for employment and revenue growth to the Tribe.”
The situation in Wisconsin is similar to the situation in Florida - instead of trying to get a bill passed in the State Legislature, both Gov. Evers of Wisconsin and Gov. DeSantis of Florida opted for tribal compact renegotiation as the path of least resistance.
This move does require that the states receive approval for the renegotiated compacts, however, which is the main potential impediment to Wisconsin getting sports betting.
The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs will have 45 days to review the renegotiated compact.
They have three options. First, they could approve the compact, which would allow the Oneida Nation to offer sports betting at the Oneida Casino.
Second, they could deny the renegotiated gambling compact, which would prevent the installation of sports betting in Wisconsin.
Finally, they could ask for amendments to the compact, which would send it back to Evers and the Nation, who could then amend the compact and re-submit it for another 45-day review period.
It seems as though all parties involved in the compact expect it to be approved, however.
The Oneida Nation has plans to get sports betting up and running in the state before football season begins.
This is welcome news to fans of gambling in Wisconsin, who may be able to wager on the Green Bay Packers if all goes well at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.