Wisconsin gamblers may soon receive more opportunities to bet on sports events within the state.
The beginning of the week saw Governor Tony Evers’ administration announce an amendment to the state’s gambling agreement with the St. Croix Chippewa tribe. Under the changes brought to the compact, the Native American nation would be able to start offering sports betting services at its tribal casinos, on tribal land, as well as on land that is being held in trust for the tribe.
The amendment to the Chippewa tribe’s compact was officially approved by the St. Croix Tribal Council on November 30th. The change still needs to receive the approval of the US Department of the Interior in order to become reality, but the tribe has already started the construction of a sportsbook facility at its Turtle Lake casino.
Trible leaders have commented on the situation, revealing they understand how important the location is for such a venue. Bill Reynolds, who is the tribe’s Chairman, said that when the St. Croix Chippewa looked at sports betting, they were willing to “pull from other states”, especially from Minnesota, considering the state border is in close proximity to the casino where sports betting will become available soon. He further shared that the tribe was willing to offer sports betting services for years and it finally got the right time to agree on such a partnership with Governor Evers.
Sports Betting Services to Be Offered at Tribe’s Turtle Lake Casino
As revealed by Mr. Reynolds, the tribe is now focused on building the sportsbook at the location of its Turtle Lake Casino. He noted that the project could make a huge difference when it comes to economic impact, as it could bring millions of dollars to the Native American nation.
This is not the first time when the administration of Democratic Governor Evers brings such a change in an Indian Tribe’s compact. In July, it practically legalized sports betting in the state of Wisconsin for the first time ever by amending its agreement with the Oneida Nation, allowing the Native American nation to offer sports betting services at its facilities.
While it is not absolutely full legalization of sports betting in the state, the amended compact of the St. Croix Chippewa tribe now means that every state neighboring Minnesota, along with Canada, currently offers legal sports betting services. This could be extremely frustrating for Minnesota lawmakers who have been trying to make the new form of gambling legal in the state for years.
According to Representative Pat Garofalo, the fact that Minnesota is the only US state in the region that has still not legalized betting on sports events shows that the local government was moving more slowly in comparison to the ones in the rest of the country. According to Representative Garofalo, legalizing the practice across the state could inflict a massive financial blow on the underground network of illegal gambling, while generating fresh revenue of up to $35 million for the state.
