Photo via Potowatomi Hotel and Casino
Potowatomi Sportsbook
Since a federal ban was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2018, the topic of sports betting in Wisconsin, particularly Milwaukee, has simmered. On Monday, Potowatomi Hotel and Casino announced that it will close the Northern Lights Theater and Fire Pit Sports Bar in its facility, with the plan to ultimately construct a sportsbook that is due to be completed by the first quarter of 2024. In the meantime, two temporary sportsbook operations will open at the casino within the next three to six weeks.
Entertainment booking at the Northern Lights Theater had quietly slowed down, with rumblings of a sportsbook opening in the wake of an agreement between Governor Tony Evers and Wisconsin’s casino operating tribes to allow sports wagering in 2022. Since then, Potowatomi Hotel and Casino has announced several massive changes, including a $100 million renovation in May of last year, which included the opening of Rock And Brews, a restaurant franchise owned by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of rock band KISS. A new high-limit gaming room, as well as a Starbucks franchise on the hotel side of things are also in the works.
While the Northern Lights Theater is renovated, two locations at the casino will host temporary sports betting sites; the second level skywalk, as well as the current Fire Pit Sports Bar and Grill location. Both spaces will provide odds boards to bet on a variety of sports, and a total of 17 betting kiosks will be available 24 hours a day to accept wagers. The new sportsbook will make use of the theater’s seating options, as well as provide a number of screens showing sports from all over the world in which bettors can place a wager.
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“This is a transformational time at Potawatomi Casino Hotel,” said Dominic Ortiz, Potawatomi Casinos and Hotels’ CEO via statement. “For more than three decades, we have served as a leader in Tribal gaming. With the addition of sports betting, we’ll be providing our guests with even more options and welcoming new visitors to the property and the Menomonee Valley.”
In the Midwest, Wisconsin is one of few states remaining to impose limits on sports wagering. Currently Illinois, Michigan, and Iowa all allow for sports wagering both in casinos and online via mobile apps. Monday’s announcement, however, makes sports gambling widely available in the Milwaukee area, thanks to a centralized location to do so responsibly.
For more about the developments at Potowatomi Hotel and Casino, visit their website.
