While tribes in Connecticut and Arizona made no secret of negotiating with their respective state governors over adding sports betting to their gaming compacts, the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin kept its business private. As a result, when the tribe announced in July it will be the first Wisconsin tribe to launch legal sports betting this fall, industry insiders were caught by surprise.
Oneida Nation Vice Chairman Brandon Yellowbird Stevens stated, “Our compact came up for negotiation first. We kept all 11 Wisconsin tribes in the loop every step of the way, that’s how we kept it a secret. The premise was that we were going to set the template for what all tribes could do, and we needed to make sure that this was fluid.”
Unfortunately, Stevens said, the tribe was not be able to kick off sports betting by the start of the National Football League season, due to supply chain issues. But he hopes to have some teller windows and kiosks open at the tribe’s five Wisconsin locations by Week 11, including four in Green Bay and one in Pulaski. Add on-reservation mobile will be added later at some locations and permanent sportsbooks will open in February, Stevens said. The sportsbooks will be powered by IGT’s PlaySports package.
Stevens said bettors will be able to wager on pro sports but not on in-state college sports or amateur sports, Stevens said. However, bettors can wager on the Grammys, Academy Awards and others. “Hopefully, the tribes behind us, after we show that we are ethical and taking care of this, hopefully, we can later include the UW-Madison Panthers, Marquette and Wisconsin, into betting. Hopefully, the tribes coming behind us will have the power to include betting on those teams,” Stevens said.
Oneida Casino customers will be required to register at a brick-and-mortar location and will be able to earn loyalty points to use at physical locations. Stevens said he expects sports wagering will create up to 15 jobs. The tribe will use the revenue to fund programs on the reservation.
In 2019, the tribe and the Packers expanded their long-term relationship, with casino advertising allowed inside the stadium, as well as over a stadium entrance gate. The tribe also sponsors a 1-mile walkway outside the stadium featuring statues of legendary Packers players and team history.
