Gov. Evers, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Sign Compact Amendment Permitting Event Wagering

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers and Chairman Louis Taylor of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians today announced they have signed a historic compact amendment allowing casinos and affiliate locations in Wisconsin operated by the Tribe to offer event wagering on sports and non-sports events. The signed amendment was sent to the U.S. Department of Interior where it will undergo a 45-day review.

“I am grateful to Chairman Taylor and the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Council for their work to come to an agreement on this important compact amendment,” said Gov. Evers. “Event wagering will generate additional revenue for the state and the Tribe, while giving a boost to tourism and employment in Northern Wisconsin.”

“This is a great day for the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe,” said Chairman Taylor. “The amendment will allow us to continue offering a first-rate gaming experience at our casino and increase employment opportunities for both Tribal members and the Sawyer County area. I am very pleased we were able to work so quickly and cooperatively with Gov. Evers’ team to reach this historic agreement.”

The amendment follows negotiations between the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s (DOA) Division of Gaming and comes after Gov. Evers signed similar compacts with the Oneida Nation, the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, and the Forest County Potawatomi. The amendment permits the Tribe to offer sports betting and other forms of event wagering at its existing Sevenwinds Casino in Hayward and to offer mobile wagering on other land within its reservation. Given the 45-day review, the timeline should allow the Tribe to begin offering sports betting during the fall football season.

“It’s important for the state and the Tribe that they are able to remain competitive in a fast-changing gaming market,” said DOA Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld. “Recognizing our shared interests helped make these negotiations so successful. We look forward to continuing our cooperative relationship with the Lac Courte Oreille Tribe.”

The regulation of Tribal gaming operations is overseen by the DOA’s Office of Indian Gaming and Regulatory Compliance (OIGRC). There are 11 federally-recognized Native Nations in Wisconsin, all of which have gaming operations. OIGRC ensures compliance with all state-tribal gaming compacts, conducts on-site audits of casino operations, certifies gaming vendors, and collects the Tribes’ revenue payments to the state.

An online version of this release is available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.