Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and the Forest County Potawatomi Community have signed an amended gaming compact allowing sports and event wagering at the tribe’s Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee and affiliate locations.
The amendment also extends current compact to 2061. The U.S. Department of the Interior is expected to approve the amended compact after a 45-day review.
Tribal spokesman George Ermert stated, “These discussions take time to hammer out and the state and Potawatomi worked diligently on this.” He said a new sportsbook will be built at the Milwaukee casino by the end of the year. Ermert noted the tribe is allowed to offer sports betting at its Potawatomi Carter Casino Hotel in northern Wisconsin but, he said, “Right now we’re focused on bringing that amenity to our Milwaukee facility.”
Under the existing compact, the tribe is required to pay the state 6.5 percent of net win at the Milwaukee venue, and a sliding scale of up to 5 percent of net win at the Carter facility.
Evers stated, “I am glad for the good work of Chairman Ned Daniels, the Forest County Potawatomi and the folks at the Department of Administration to get this done so folks can enjoy sports and other event wagering in our state while benefitting the tribe’s economic growth. I look forward to continuing our partnership together to find new opportunities that support and bolster the tribe’s success and our state’s success for years to come.”
Daniels commented, “We appreciate Governor Evers and his administration working with us in a government-to-government manner to provide our tribe the tools needed to compete in the marketplace and giving us the business certainty to continue our investments in Milwaukee and throughout the state.”
Evers also recently signed similar compacts with the Oneida Nation and the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin.
