ST. CROIX RESERVATION — Gov. Tony Evers and Chairman William Reynolds of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin today celebrated their signing of a historic compact amendment allowing St. Croix operated casinos and affiliate locations in Wisconsin 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’m grateful for Chairman Reynolds and the St. Croix Chippewa Tribal Council for their efforts to negotiate this compact,” said Gov. Evers. “Event wagering will bring new opportunities for employment and revenue growth to the Tribe and provide a welcome boost to our recovering tourism and entertainment industries.”
“We are in exciting times here at St. Croix. The addition of sports wagering at the St. Croix Casinos will give our tribe the ability to give our customers the most comprehensive gaming experience in the state of Wisconsin,” said Chairman Reynolds. “We are greatly appreciative of the partnership Governor Evers has provided to the tribes and we look forward to continuing this government-to-government relationship. Miigwetch!”
The compact amendment follows months of negotiations between the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s (DOA) Division of Gaming. The compact amendment was voted on by the St. Croix Tribal Council on November 30, 2021. The event wagering provisions of the compact are expected to be approved by the Department of Interior. The St. Croix Tribe has already begun construction of a large and modern sports book facility within its Turtle Lake casino. The compact amendment also allows for remote event wagering on land owned by the Tribe or held in trust for the Tribe by the federal government that contains a commercial building owned or leased by the Tribe.
“We are grateful to be able to work closely with the St. Croix Chippewa leadership on this agreement and look forward to continuing our partnership in support of this gaming compact for the benefit of the Tribe and the state,” said DOA Secretary Joel Brennan.
The DOA’s Office of Indian Gaming and Regulatory Compliance (OIGRC) currently conducts on-site audits of casino operations, and under the amended compact will have oversight to ensure regulatory compliance and the integrity of event wagering. OIGRC is the entity authorized under the state of Wisconsin/Tribal Compacts to ensure effective concurrent regulation by both the state and the Tribes of the Class III casino gaming operated by the 11 federally recognized Tribes in Wisconsin. This includes on-site audits of casino operations for compliance with internal control standards, audits of gaming financial data, and investigation of vendors conducting gaming-related business with Wisconsin Tribal gaming operations.
