Sports bettors near Wisconsin’s Mole Lake Casino and Lodge will soon be able to make sports wagers at the facility. Tony Evers, the state’s governor, and Sokaogon Chippewa Community Chairman Robert VanZile Jr. announced an agreement to allow the activity on the reservation.
The deal, which has to be reviewed for 45 days by the U.S. Department of the Interior, amends the tribe’s gaming compact, allowing for sports wagering. In-person betting will be available at the casino and mobile wagering will be allowed on the reservation.
That would make it the fifth Wisconsin tribe to amend its compact with the state to allow sports betting on its property. The first was the Oneida tribe, which has had sports wagering available at its Green Bay casino since last November.
“It is always a good day when we can use our government-to-government relationship to provide new opportunities for Tribal communities and our entire state, and I am appreciative of Chairman VanZile and the Sokaogon Tribal Council for their work with our Administration on this compact amendment.”
Evers also said that the new pact between the state and the Sokaogon Chippewa nation would create jobs and attract additional tourism, calling it “a win-win for everyone.”
Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld commented: “It is our shared interests that help make these negotiations so successful for the Tribe and the state. We look forward to continuing our cooperative relationship with the Sokaogon Chippewa Community.”
DOA’s Office of Indian Gaming and Regulatory Compliance (OIGRC) already conducts on-site audits of casino operations. The new compact stipulates they will be responsible for oversight to ensure regulatory compliance and integrity of event wagering.
Details of who will operate the sportsbook has not been finalized. The casino, which is approximately 100 miles north of Green Bay, home to the NFL’s Packers, would expect heavy volume on that team. Betting on college teams in the state, however, is not permitted.
