Updated Wisconsin Compact Approved, Allows Sports Betting on Tribal Lands

• Last Week, the US Dept. of Interior Approved an Updated Wisconsin Compact
• Compact Allows Sports Betting on Oneida Nation Land Only
• “Component Backorder” Delays Wisconsin Sports Betting Launch

Last Week, the US Dept. of Interior Approved an Updated Wisconsin Compact

Last week, the US Department of the Interior finally gave its approval to the updated gaming compact that regulates tribal gaming offerings in the state of Wisconsin, paving the way towards legal sports betting there.

At the start of July, the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and Gov. Tony Evers announced a deal that will allow the tribe to open sportsbooks at its properties, giving Badger State bettors hope that they might be able to place wagers on the upcoming NFL season before it ends.

This comes as a pleasant surprise to a state that has dragged its heels regarding legal sports gambling but, given that Wisconsin gamblers have already been pouring their money into sportsbooks that are available online in nearby Iowa and Illinois and offshore, it’s no wonder that state leaders have begun to make the shift towards regulating this lucrative market.

Part of that regulation involves keeping all bets strictly on native property.

Compact Allows Sports Betting on Oneida Nation Land Only

One relative negative to this updated compact is that it only allows for sports betting on Oneida Nation property, bad news for major brands like DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, Barstool, and PointsBet.

But for Wisconsin bettors, at least now they will be able to place wagers on sports at Oneida gaming facilities using the Oneida Casino sportsbook, which will be accessible through kiosks and ticket windows and eventually through a mobile app that can be used within the casinos.

This includes the Main-Airport casino near the Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport where a temporary sportsbook is being constructed near its sports bar, with the sportsbook’s third-party operating partner set to be announced in the near future.

Except nothing can move forward there until all the physical parts of the operation arrive on location, and right now there’s an inventory problem stalling the launch.

“Component Backorder” Delays Wisconsin Sports Betting Launch

As is the case in any new venture, success depends on a multitude of parts coming together in a timely fashion, but in the case of the new sportsbook being set up on Oneida property, a missing piece of physical equipment has yet to be delivered.

That’s according to Louise Cornelius, general manager of Oneida Casino Gaming, who said in an email:

A component backorder is delaying the launch.

Once the Main Street Casino sportsbook receives its operating systems and equipment, sports bettors in America’s Dairyland can begin placing bets on the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS and on out-of-state Big Ten, Big East, and other college events as well as on major awards programs such as the Oscars (they’d be one of the first sportsbooks in the country to do that).

If all goes according to plan, expect regulated sports betting on Wisconsin’s Oneida Nation property to launch sometime before the end of 2021, just in time to catch the most popular part of the upcoming NFL season, the playoffs, and the Super Bowl.