- A large sportsbook will be constructed at Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee.
- The Potawatomi Casino Sportsbook will become only the second retail sports betting option in Milwaukee after the Oneida Casino.
- The Potawatomi Casino is currently undergoing a $100 million renovation to its third floor which is expected to be completed this year.
Sports betting is coming to Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee.
Potawatomi Casino Hotel announced earlier this week plans to open a retail sportsbook and lounge at the northwest corner of the casino’s first floor. The sports betting shop will replace the Northern Lights Theater and the Fire Pit Sports Bar and Grill.
In a statement, Potawatomi Casinos and Hotels CEO Dominic Ortiz said:
While the sportsbook is being constructed, the casino will provide guests with two locations, which will be open 24 hours a day, to offer in-person sports betting. There will be 17 kiosks between these two locations.
One of the locations will be near the former Fire Pit Sports Bar and Grill, which will have full bar service, 8 high-definition TVs, and one large LED screen. Kiosks will also be placed on the Skywalk on the second level of the property. Both locations will have their own odds boards.
The Potawatomi Hotel and Casino released new renderings that give a glimpse of the first legal sports betting facility in Milwaukee. https://t.co/rmHLLEsTO0
— WKOW 27 News (@WKOW) January 24, 2023
Limited Sports Betting in Wisconsin
Currently, sports betting is limited in Wisconsin. Once it opens, the sportsbook at Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Casino will only be the second venue in the Badger State after the Oneida Casino in Green Bay where in-person bets can be placed via self-service sports betting kiosks.
Bettors can also place online wagers using a mobile sports betting app through Oneida Nation but only at Oneida Casino and Oneida Nation locations including IMAC Casino, West Mason Casino, and seven tribal-owned truck stops.
Last September, The Sokaogon Chippewa Community announced that an amendment was made to allow the Tribe to offer retail and mobile sports betting at its Mole Lake Casino & Lodge and other tribal lands. During the announcement, the Tribe said that they were eyeing to launch of legal sports betting by next month’s Super Bowl LVII. However, there are no updates on that development.
Potawatomi Casino
Potawatomi Casino originally opened as Potawatomi Bingo on March 7, 1991. The Bingo Hall had an area of 45,800 square feet and a capacity of 2,500 persons. The Potawatomi tribe then signed a gaming compact with the state in 1992 which led to the addition of slot machines and paved the way for its expansion.
In 2008, the casino tripled in size while adding restaurants and a 1,700-slot parking garage after a massive $240 million expansion project. Six years later, it changed its name o Potawatomi Casino while adding its first hotel tower.
The casino added a second hotel tower in 2019 to bring its total number of rooms to 500. Currently, the Potawatomi Hotel has a spa, indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, fitness center, pool party room, and ballroom. The casino also has more than 60,000 square feet of event space.
$100 Million Renovation to Third Floor
Last year, the casino announced a $100 million renovation to its third floor. The 120,000-square-foot project was intended to add 1,800 slot machine stations, an exclusive high-limit room, a new bar with 28 bar-top seats, and an array of 4K television sets will also be added.
The project also includes the addition of Rock & Brews, a restaurant brand founded by KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, at the skywalk. The renovation also includes a new full-service Starbucks location across the Rock & Brews entrance, three new quick-service food and beverage options, and a new gift and convenience store.
The renovation has started with Greenfire Management Services of Milwaukee, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation, teaming up with Gilbane Building Services acting as general contractors and I-5 serving as architect. The project is now on its second level and is expected to be completed in phases during summer and fall.
