Short Summary: This page looks at the different forms of gambling in the State of Wisconsin, discusses the legality of online gambling and gives a detailed listing of all of the casinos in the state.
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Wisconsin might not be the first state that comes to mind when people think of gambling, but there are a surprising number of ways and places to do just that. While there are not any state-regulated and operated Commercial Casinos, there are a vast number of Native American (Tribal) casinos located within the borders of The Badger State, which we will list and detail for you down the page.
Let’s first take a look at all of the different gambling options in Wisconsin:
The way that the eleven (11) Federally-recognized tribes in the State of Wisconsin operate is through various casino compacts with the state, which can all be found here.
That page contains links that will take you to all of the relevant compact information, but for the purposes of this page, we will only be using the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa compact to get an idea of what these compacts consist of.
That link goes to the (since amended) original Bad River Compact, which was made effective in 1991. Pursuant to the original compact:
IV. AUTHORIZED CLASS III GAMING.
A. The Tribe shall have the right to operate the following Class III games during the term of this Compact but only as provided in this Compact:
Electronic games of chance with video facsimile displays;
Electronic games of chance with mechanical displays;
Blackjack; and
Pull-tabs or break-open tickets when not played at the same location where bingo is being played.
These are all Class III games, which means that they are Vegas-style slot machines, therefore, the Bad River Band was permitted to have Vegas-style slot and video poker machines right off the bat. Additionally, they were permitted to have live Blackjack as well as pull tabs as long as the pull tabs were not played in the same location as Bingo…which seems unusual.
The Compact also stipulates that it might in the future be amended, as it has been, in order to permit the Tribe to operate additional games:
G. After July 31, 1992, and annually thereafter, upon written request of the Tribe specifying the need to operate additional games in order to realize a reasonable return on its investment, the parties shall meet for the purpose of discussing the matter and considering the addition of games essential to meet the Tribal need.
The next section states that the Tribe is authorized to sell alcohol (but not for off-site consumption) during those same hours that other Wisconsin retailers (i.e. bars and restaurants) are also permitted to sell alcohol. The compact stipulates that nobody under the age of 18 shall be permitted to play and, if caught, shall forfeit any winnings (if applicable) and have the estimated total amount lost by wagers (if any) returned to him or her.
The next several pages of the compact relate to who may manage, operate or work at the casinos. Once you get past that, there are a few pages related to record-keeping for financials and machine results.
One interesting thing about Wisconsin is that the Tribes are required to withhold personal income taxes from the players for the state IF the winner is a non-tribal Wisconsin resident. The requirement for the mandatory withholding is the same as the Federal requirements for mandatory withholdings; the most common example is an electronic gaming machine pay of $1,200, or more, regardless of the amount bet:
XIII. WITHHOLDING WISCONSIN INCOME TAX.
A. The Tribe shall withhold Wisconsin income tax from any payment of a prize or winnings from which it must also withhold federal taxes under the Internal Revenue Code or Regulations, except that the Tribe shall not be required to withhold Wisconsin income tax from payments to:
1. Enrolled members of the Tribe; or
2. Individuals who certify to the Tribe that they are not legal residents of the State of Wisconsin, unless such individuals are subject to Wisconsin income tax on such winnings under ch. 71, Wis. Stats., for the calendar year in which the payment is made.
B. The amount to be withheld under subsec. A. shall be determined by multiplying the amount of the payment by the greater of 6.93% (.0693), or the highest Wisconsin income tax rate applicable to individuals under s. 71.06 (1), Wis. Stats., for the calendar year in which the payment is made.
C. During the term of this Compact, the Tribe shall be registered with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for withholding tax purposes and have a Wisconsin employer identification number. Wisconsin income tax withheld under subsec. A. shall be deposited on the same basis as taxes withheld from wages of employes are deposited by employers. Amounts withheld under subsec. A. shall be combined with amounts withheld from the wages of Tribal employes and a single deposit filed for the resulting total.
Strictly speaking, you’re better off to gamble in Wisconsin as a non-Tribal United States citizen if you do not live in the State of Wisconsin. That being said, there are several other states (such as Ohio) that collect personal income taxes from their residents on such jackpots, even if those jackpots were hit in other states.
Of course, we recommend looking into your state’s laws to see how gambling winnings may impact your tax obligations. The laws are all over the place in this regard as some states (Florida is one example) don’t even have a state income tax. Ohio is a particularly onerous state for gambling taxes because, unlike Federal gambling taxes, gambling winnings can not be offset by losses in the State of Ohio for taxation purposes.
Here’s an unusual provision for electronic games:
BAD RIVER/STATE OF WISCONSIN GAMING COMPACT OF 1991 Page 16
B. Testing of Electronic Games of Chance.
1. Testing and Approval of Electronic Games of Chance. No electronic games of chance may be operated by the Tribe unless: (1) the electronic game of chance is obtained from a manufacturer or distributor that holds a Certificate Issued under section VII. of this Compact to sell, lease, or distribute electronic games of chance; and (2) the electronic game of chance, or a prototype thereof, has been tested, approved or certified by a gaming test laboratory as meeting the requirements and standards of this Compact. For purposes of this Compact, a gaming test laboratory is a laboratory agreed to and designated in writing by the Lottery Board and the Tribe as competent and qualified to conduct scientific tests and evaluations of electronic games of chance and related equipment. A laboratory operated by or under contract with the states of Minnesota, New Jersey, or South Dakota constitutes a designated gaming test laboratory.
What makes that unusual is that they can operate games approved by the states of Minnesota, New Jersey or South Dakota. The majority of states’ tribal compacts just use Nevada as the state for approval. This actually wouldn’t matter to the tribe much because, generally speaking, if it’s approved in Nevada it’s also approved in New Jersey.
Pursuant to the original compact, no electronic game could allow for a single wager of more than five dollars. ($5) The compact goes on to cover the topic of minimum returns for electronic games:
2. Software Requirements for Percentage Payout. Each electronic game of chance must meet the following maximum and minimum theoretical percentage payout during the expected lifetime of the game:
a. Electronic games that are not affected by player skill shall payout a minimum of 80 percent and no more than 100.0 percent of the amount wagered. The theoretical payout percentage will be determined using standard methods of probability theory;
b. Electronic games that are affected by player skill, such as electronic draw poker and blackjack, shall payout a minimum of 83 percent and no more than 100.0 percent of the amount wagered. This standard is met when using a method of play that will provide the greatest return to the player over a period of continuous play.
The short answer is that all games in the State of Wisconsin are required to have a minimum theoretical long-term return to player of no less than 80%, the only exceptions being Blackjack and Video Poker which must return no less than 83% assuming a player plays with optimal strategy. In practice, this is right in line with the minimum returns of many states (West Virginia, for one example, also used 80% in its commercial casinos); also in practice, machines will generally return a greater percentage than this.
The next regulations cover Blackjack which, interestingly enough, is not to be conducted for more than eighteen hours per day, pursuant to the original compact. The compact goes on to state that the maximum permitted wager, at the time the original compact was signed, was $200 for an initial wager.
The next few pages of the compact describe the different rules that can be in effect for Blackjack, (Surrender, Double Down, Splitting) but leave it for the tribe as to whether or not they wish to allow those choices at a particular table.
There’s a section towards the end that covers the fees paid to the state for its help in enforcing the compact:
A. Until such time as all tribes within the State that have requested negotiation of Class III gaming compacts have concluded compacts with the State, the Tribe shall pay to the State, as reimbursement for State costs of regulation under this Compact, the sum of $25,000 for each State fiscal year (ending June 30), or part thereof, that this Compact is in force. Payments under this subsection shall be made on or before the end of each fiscal year.
B. As soon as all tribes within the State that have requested negotiation of Class III gaming compacts have concluded compacts with the State, the Tribe shall pay to the State, as reimbursement for State costs of regulation under this Compact, an annual amount for each State fiscal year computed as follows: the share of $350,000 determined by multiplying that amount by a fraction whose denominator is the sum of the gross annual Class III gaming handle of those tribes for the previous fiscal year, and whose numerator is the Tribe’s gross annual Class III gaming handle for that same fiscal year. Payments shall be made within 30 days after the Tribe receives a statement from the State setting forth the amount to be paid by the Tribe under this section.
That sure sounds confusing, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, it’s not.
Section A just refers to $25,000 that is to be paid to the state until such time that all of the tribes who requested compacts have concluded them.
Section B just refers to the ongoing fees that are to be paid to the state. The way that it was written was likely originally intended to balance out the fact that the Tribe might not operate a particular location for the full first Fiscal Year of the compact. Let’s suppose that the Tribe had total gambling handle (all monies bet) of $300,000,000 for the year 2018 and $310,000,000 for the year 2019, then the money owed to the state for that Fiscal Year would go like this:
350000 * (310000000/300000000) = 361,666.666667
Therefore, the Tribe would owe the state $361,666.67 for the Fiscal Year 2019. The only way this number is going to deviate from $350,000 (regardless of the total handle) is if the Tribe has a substantially better (or worse) year for the current year than it did for the previous year. COVID-19 probably resulted in quite a revenue hit for the Tribe, so 2020 FY will likely be worse than FY 2019…therefore, the Tribe should end up owing less than $350,000 for that Fiscal Year.
We will now address the two Amendments to the compact, the first was effective as of 1999.
The first thing that the Amendment did was raise the minimum age to be allowed in the gaming sections of the casinos from 18 to 21, which is a shame for those who fell into that age range at the time. On the other hand, maybe you don’t really want some folks who are still in high school gambling in casinos.
The Amendment also changed the amount due the state from the tribe to a flat $230,000, which I expect was because revenues had fallen over the years between the original compact and the amendment. Another factor might have been that the state actually had a lot less to do after the casino itself had been up and running for a few years.
There was also a disaster clause in which a natural disaster causing a prolonged shutdown of 50%, or more, of the electronic gaming devices would mean that the amount owed to the state could be reduced on a percentage of revenue basis.
Anyway, this Amendment demonstrates a willingness of the State of Wisconsin to work closely with The Tribe to make sure that the compact (and fees due the state) remains fair and equitable. Wisconsin did well to recognize that the continued successful; operation of the casinos is good not only for the Tribe, but also for the state itself.
The 2003 Amendment helped the Tribes even more and enabled them to add a wide variety of Table Games, as you can see here:
2. Section IV.A. of the Compact is amended by deleting “and” after “3. Blackjack”, replacing the period (“.”) after “where bingo is being played” with a semicolon (“;”), and adding the following new provisions after Section IV.A.4.:
5. Electric keno; and
6. Pari-mutuel wagering on live simulcast; horse, harness, and dog racing events, including participation in interstate betting pools; and
7. The game of roulette, the game of craps, the game of poker, and similar nonhouse banked card games, played at Blackjack style tables, such as Let it Ride,
Casino Stud, and Casino War; and
8. The Tribe shall be pennitted to offer any additional Class III games which any other federally recognized Indian Tribe in the State of Wisconsin, or other person
or entity, is pennitted to offer for any purpose.
9. Games in paragraphs 5 through 8, above, may not be conducted until the Tribe establishes internal controls in accordance with the provisions of Section XXXVI,
Below.
In addition to the wide variety of Table Games options, this also enabled The Tribe to have electronic keno machines, which perhaps surprisingly, were apparently not covered under the original compact. The Amendment of 2003 also extended to enable the Tribe to offer pari-mutuel simulcast wagering. Finally, rather than needing a compact for every new Class III game, Clause #9 automatically enables the Tribe to host any other Class III game available elsewhere in the state.
The majority of the rest of this Amendment concerns operational stuff, with a notable exception being that the maximum theoretical return of Class III games was increased from 100% to 103%, so that would theoretically enable the Tribe to offer +EV Video Poker games (for one example) if they wanted to do so.
In general terms, we would expect that the other compacts with the other Tribes to be substantially the same as this one, as well as any Amendments associated with those initial compacts. From what we can tell, the State of Wisconsin recognizes the mutual benefit associated with having the Tribes operate casinos within the state and has made every effort to treat them fairly whilst taking a reasonable amount of money for their oversight of the gambling activities on the state level.
The first thing that we will cover is greyhound racing in the State of Wisconsin. At its peak, Wisconsin was home to five different greyhound tracks, but all five of those have closed over the years and there are presently zero greyhound tracks in operation.
As of the time of this writing, greyhound racing is not illegal in the state, per se, but it has effectively been done away with by virtue of the fact that the tracks all failed and closed down. Even if a new greyhound track were to open, we expect that it would not take very long at all for the operators to recognize that greyhound racing is not a profitable enterprise.
Wisconsin was only arguably a big horse racing state, even at its peak. The final full-time horse racing track to close in the state was Dairyland Park, which closed in 2009. Some websites blame the Tribal Casinos for the failure of Wisconsin’s horse racing industry, but that neglects the fact that it’s basically a dying sport all over the country.
If they really wanted to point fingers, then any blame should probably rest with the State of Wisconsin itself. Other states (starting in the early-90’s even, with West Virginia) went out of their way to create racinos in order to preserve the already-dying racing industries. In fact, it’s extremely rare now that you’ll even find a full-time horse racing track that’s not directly attached to a casino…though there are a few exceptions.
With all of that said, isolated live racing events (usually 1-2 days) with live wagering have taken place in the state, from time to time, in the years since. Simulcast wagering is also available at the Tribal Casinos allowed to conduct it (and who choose to do so) by compact. Simulcast wagering may also be available at other locations in Wisconsin, though we would expect those to be few and far between (if any) as, once again, horse racing is not a terribly popular sport as it once was.
Greyhound simulcast wagering is also available at some of these locations, if dogs being tortured is more your thing. That will likely remain the case until greyhound racing finally dies its well-deserved death, which will happen if West Virginia finally stops forcing the two greyhound racinos to stop directly subsidizing an industry that only ever loses money.
That would leave Iowa Greyhound Park in Dubuque, Iowa, which only operates a few months out of the year and a few greyhound parks in Texas that operate on a rotating basis. For its part, Arkansas is in the process of phasing out greyhound racing. Gulf Greyhound Park in Texas also announced, in 2020, its permanent closure due to falling revenues.
It’s really for West Virginia to finally end its two racinos (Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack and Mardi Gras Casino) being forced to subsidize a clearly failed industry. The remaining tracks in Texas and Iowa will fail on their own soon enough.
The Wisconsin Office of Charitable Gambling is the regulator for Charitable Raffles and Bingo, and according to their website.
They presently license some 900 raffle operators as well as 450 bingo organizations throughout the state. Additionally, Tribal Casinos may offer bingo, or even have Bingo halls that operate independently aside from the casino locations.
Raffles and Bingo are governed by Chapter 563 of the Wisconsin code, which can be found here.
The first type of Bingo license requires a simple fee of $10 for each occasion (read: day) that Bingo is going to be conducted. Additionally, an annual license of $5 is required for the designated member of an organization to handle all of the bingo receipts and accounting.
563.13 Affidavits and fees. Except as provided in s.
563.135, an application for a license to conduct bingo shall be
accompanied by:
(2) A sworn statement by the member designated as responsible for the proper utilization of gross receipts that no commission or other fee, salary, profits, compensation, reward or recompense
will be paid to any person or organization and that all profits will be spent as provided under s. 563.51 (8).
(4) A $10 license fee for each bingo occasion proposed to be conducted and $5 for an annual license for the designated member responsible for the proper utilization of gross receipts. All moneys received under this subsection shall be credited to the appropriate account under…
Another type of Bingo license that can be issued is one that applies strictly to senior centers. This type of license costs $5 and only allows for Bingo to be conducted as a social activity with each set of Bingo cards costing the players no more than $2. Additionally, this type of license stipulates that the value of all prizes (or cash) shall meet or exceed the cost of all tickets purchased…essentially making this sort of bingo a breakeven expectation for players.
Suppliers of Bingo equipment must first pay a $25 license fee to the state as well as a graduating payment based on the total revenues of bingo implements sold. This scale is as follows:
(2) (a) Each application for an initial supplier’s license or for a renewal thereof shall be accompanied by a fee of $25.
(b) When the supplier’s license expires, the supplier shall pay a supplementary fee based on the supplier’s gross sales of bingo supplies and equipment to licensed organizations during the preceding year. The supplementary fee shall be determined in accordance with the following schedule:
Amount of Gross Sales Fee
Less than $5,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10
Between $5,000 and $19,999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50
Between $20,000 and $49,999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200
Between $50,000 and $100,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500
More than $100,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,000
In my opinion, this is more than reasonable and puts the onus on the entity that is theoretically profiting (the others being charitable) from the conduct of Bingo within the state.
In general, a single game of Bingo may not have prizes in excess of $500 and no single Bingo, “Occasion,” may have prizes that total more than $2,500. However, exceptions may be made for progressive jackpot bingo, which often involves a coverall and carries over from week-to-week if the top prize is not awarded based on the number of balls drawn:
(9) LIMITATION ON VALUE OF PRIZES. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c), no prize in a single bingo game shall exceed $500 and the aggregate value of prizes at any bingo occasion may not exceed $2,500.
(b) The aggregate value of prizes at a bingo occasion may exceed $2,500 by the amount resulting from the awarding of minimum prizes under sub. (27).
(c) The limits under par. (a) do not apply to progressive jackpot bingo.
As a result, the maximum aggregate amount awarded per occasion can also be exceeded if progressive jackpots would cause that excess, or for other exceptions as allowed by the code.
Technically, a player could appear and play all regular (read: non-progressive and non-specials) Bingo Games as cheaply as $1, which is the maximum admission fee and entitles the player to play all, “Regular,” bingo games:
(15) REGULAR BINGO GAME FEE. A fee of not more than $1 may be charged for admission to premises at which a regular bingo game is conducted. The fee entitles the person to participate, without additional charge, in all regular bingo games played at such, bingo occasion, except that a fee of not more than $1 may be charged for each extra regular card.
The law goes on to specify that the cost for an individual card for any other Bingo Game may not be more than $1 for a single card. The law further ordains that Progressive Jackpot Bingo must have at least 50% of all card proceeds entered into the progressive pool with a minimum prize of $100 if the progressive is not won. The law specifies that the progressive is to consist of a cover all Bingo card in not fewer than 48 calls.
In terms of the state’s cut of Bingo activities, the state shall be paid a tax of 1% of gross receipts on the first $30,000 within a year and 2% of any gross receipts in excess of $30,000:
(a) One percent of the first $30,000 in gross receipts received by a licensed organization during a year.
(b) Two percent of the gross receipts received by a licensed organization during a year that exceed $30,000.
Which is more than some states that don’t charge anything on gross receipts, but less than other states. Overall, my opinion is that this is pretty reasonable.
In terms of raffle laws, all raffle tickets or entries are required by law to have an equal chance to win. Additionally, no more than 365 raffle events may be held per year, but a raffle with more than one drawing can still only count as one raffle.
The fee for a raffle license is only $25 per year. The state does not take any cut of the raffle gross proceeds directly, although, it does charge the state’s personal income tax on any raffle participant who wins $600, or more, or any prize valued at or above $600 in market value.
Our understanding is that, on occasion, casino nights or charitable poker nights have taken place in the State of Wisconsin. While it may be unlikely that anything would happen.
The Wisconsin Department of Administration pretty clearly lays out that raffles and bingo are the only acceptable forms of charitable gambling in the entire state, thereby rendering any other game of chance illegal.
Any form of gambling not specifically authorized by the State of Wisconsin constitutes a Class B Misdemeanor, and sports betting has yet to be authorized for the Tribal Casinos (or anywhere else), so there you go. We expect that it’s possible the state will do a series of compact amendments to allow sports betting within the Tribal Casinos who choose to host a sportsbook.
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|  | 100% up to $500
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As of the time of this writing, none of Wisconsin’s Tribal Casinos have been authorized to offer online gambling sites, and there are none that are operated and regulated directly by the state. Therefore, gambling online constitutes the Class B Misdemeanor of Unlawful Gambling. With that being said, we have seen no evidence that anyone acting in the mere capacity as a player has ever been prosecuted for this and there are several offshore sites out there that would cater to Wisconsin residents.
We have here the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Annual Report for the Wisconsin Lottery, so let’s dive in to some numbers.
The first thing that we find on Page 4 is that the Wisconsin Lottery enjoyed total instant ticket sales of 451.3 Million Dollars and Drawing Ticket (referred to as Lotto) sales of 261.8M for total sales of 713.1M dollars.
Total prize expenses for that Fiscal Year amounted to 431.9M, which results in estimated total losses by residents of 281.2 million dollars to the state lottery. Based on a population of 5.822 million, the average lottery loss, per resident, is about $48.30…which is definitely on the lower end of things. West Virginia’s traditional lottery loss per resident is only about $3 less, but West Virginia has state regulated gambling parlors dotting every city block…so its lottery revenues are substantially more than those of Wisconsin, all told.
60.567% of all Wisconsin Lottery ticket sales get returned to players in the form of prizes, which is undoubtedly helped out by the substantially better return on instant tickets.
Wisconsin participates in the Mega Millions and Powerball national lotteries, and we see that the different forms of lottery have their returns advertised individually in the Auditor’s section of the Lottery Report. We will not list the individual numbers for each type of lottery game, but what we will do is very quickly list the percentage returns:
Scratch-Off (instant): 66.533%
Pull Tab: 60%
SuperCash: 62.6%
Powerball: 48.7%
Wisconsin MegaBucks: 53.42%
Wisconsin MegaBucks EZ Match (Optional Add On): 63.158%
Pick Three: 46.19%
Pick Four: 44.681%
Badger 5: 48.63%
Mega Millions: 48.657%
Five Card Cash: 53.19%
All or Nothing: 56% (I guess usually nothing)
Raffle Games: 37.5% (Good thing less than a million in sales)
The lesson is always the same: The lottery sucks and you should never play it. The only interesting highlight here is that some of the Wisconsin state drawing games are worse returning than games such as Mega Millions and Powerball! If that wasn’t so disgusting, we’d be impressed.
Comparatively, remember the Tribal compact we discussed earlier? Wisconsin mandates that all Class III Electronic machines have a minimum return to player of 80%, and it should be no surprise that represents a better return than any form of the state lottery that can be played.
Unfortunately, the lottery does not break down instant ticket percentage returns based on the cost of the individual tickets, but in fairness, most of them don’t. At least they’re kind enough to differentiate instant ticket returns-to-player from those of drawing tickets for us.
No exception to the general provision against Unlawful Gambling being a Class B Misdemeanor has ever been introduced in the state to pertain to social gambling, therefore, any form of gambling not specifically authorized by the state should be construed as illegal for players and operators alike.
That being said, if you and your friends are having a social poker game for low-stakes around a table in your buddy’s garage with no rake being taken from the pots, it’s extraordinarily unlikely that anyone would be inclined to do anything about it.
Racetracks will not be listed in this section because Wisconsin no longer has any live horse racing tracks or greyhound tracks that operate full-time as a going concern. There may be some locations around the state for Simulcast Wagering outside of the Tribal Casinos, but that’s pretty negligible as a form of gambling and can actually be legally done online anyway.
Beyond that, all casinos listed are Native American (Tribal) casinos who operate under compact with the State of Wisconsin. There are no Commercial Casinos that are licensed and regulated by the state within her borders, and though the matter has been brought up here and there, it’s never gained any real traction. They don’t seem to be in any real hurry and are mainly content just to let the Tribes have it.
NOTE: Over the last year, many Native American casinos have closed as a result of Covid-19. Some have since reopened and others haven’t. For that reason, we will do our level best to try to ascertain which casinos plan to reopen versus those which are closed permanently…and have done so as of the time of this writing…but this list is basically subject to change at anytime.
Located in Odanah, Ashland County, Wisconsin, the Bad River Lodge and Casino is owned and operated by the Bad River Band of Chippewa Indians.
Bad River Lodge and Casino announced a temporary closure on their website in March of 2020, which their website would lead one to believe was still in effect as of the time of this writing.
As of January 2021, we made a call to the casino to confirm this, and it was confirmed. The casino remains closed as of this time and no opening date has been announced yet. It might not be anytime soon as I was instructed to, “Call back every couple weeks.” One would assume that there will be some sort of announcement in advance of reopening.
The Bad River casino floor would normally be home to some 400 slot machines, video poker and video keno games. They do not specify a max denomination other than to say that they have pennies and the maximum total bet on any game can be as high as $20.00.
The only two table games available are Blackjack and Let it Ride. Blackjack has set hours that are available on the website (we will not republish here as they are likely subject to change) and Let it Ride varies and the website instructs an individual to call the casino to check on the hours.
The Lodge is home to a number of rooms with the only suites being Jacuzzi suites. There is a list of rates on their website that seem somewhat fixed, depending on the day in question. In addition to Jacuzzi Suites, there are standard king rooms, two queen rooms and Super King rooms. These rates (as of the time of the writing) seem to be partially offset by $5 in Free Play, a $5 match play coupon and $2 in food credit.
Lodge amenities include complimentary wireless internet, an indoor pool, indoor hot tub, in-room microwave (all), in-room refrigerator (all) and in-room coffee makers in all of the rooms.
The property is home to a buffet/restaurant combo that mainly serves Casual American food. When they are open, buffets are available for all three meals of the day. Apparently, you are rewarded with $5 in free play if you get the buffet. The restaurant is called the Manomin Restaurant.
The Moccasin Trail Grocery Store and Gift Shop are the shopping choices for this casino, which REALLY loves giving out free play for various things. Apparently, for every $30 in purchases you make at the grocery store, you will receive $10 in free play.
The interior of the property throughout is designed to have a sort of, “Rustic,” and woodsy ambiance going for it. The hotel rooms are dated, but clean.
We would recommend this as a place to stop in and peak around (when it’s open again) or even perhaps as a place to stay if you are visiting that area of the state. There’s not so much to do that we could recommend a full weekend staycation, unless you have to be in the area anyway. In any event, you’ll get free play for basically anything you do there, the food is fine and the prices (rooms and food) are reasonable…it’s worth checking out.
Located in Hayward, Sawyer County, Wisconsin, the Grindstone Creek Casino is a small casino property owned and operated by the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
This casino is not home to a hotel and basically amounts to an oversized slots parlor. As of the time of this writing, it is open from 10:00a.m.-10:00p.m. daily and features a total of almost ninety slot, video poker and video keno machines. Denominations range from pennies to $5.00. This casino is not home to any table games, or any other form of gambling, as of the time of this writing.
The property is home to a snack bar and a cafe, which basically serves casual American food. Without the exterior signage, you might not even know that this building was a casino. It could be a large restaurant, it could be bowling alleys, it could be anything.
Unless you’re looking for a relatively quiet place to play slot machines, or your goal is to step foot in every casino in Wisconsin, there’s really no reason to stop here. There’s nothing wrong with locals slot boxes, but that’s basically what this place amounts to.
Ho-Chunk Gaming is Wisconsin’s largest Tribal Gaming organization and is currently compacted to operate as many as six properties as of the time of this writing. All properties are owned and operated by the Ho-Chunk Nation and will be addressed, by location, in this one listing.
The Black River Falls location is located in Black River Falls, Jackson County. This property is home to a surprisingly sleek and stylish hotel that consists of 182 rooms between the two different hotel wings.
Additionally, guests will enjoy microwaves and refrigerators in all guest rooms as well as complimentary access to wireless internet. The casino, as of the time of this writing, has a long-standing stay and play package by which the guest can pay $25 extra for the package, but is then awarded $50 in free slot play, among other things. We would strongly suggest taking advantage of that offer if you intend to stay and play there anyway. The worst case scenario is your machine of choice returns only 80% (it’s almost certainly more) and your $50 free play would have an expected value of $40—which is more than $25 last I checked.
All rooms have Keurig coffee makers, and the different types of Bay Suites have kitchenettes as well as the most expensive suite having a separate dining area and being extremely spacious. I don’t know that I would spring the extra money for it, but if you’re traveling with kids it might be worth it to you.
Pursuant to the Wisconsin compact, this casino is not open 24/7, so keep that in mind. The hours of operation are 8:00a.m.-2:00a.m., as they are mandatorily closed for six out of every 24 hours. It’s no matter, even though you’re having fun, you should remember to sleep.
There is only one Entertainment event that has been scheduled for so far this year, and that’s the, “Man in Black,” Johnny Cash tribute artist set to appear in July 2021.
In the same paragraph, the website says the casino is home to over 350 slot machines and then says it’s home to over 400. I’m not going to go through and count the slots, video poker and video keno machines, so we will just assume it’s somewhere in between those two numbers. Honestly, it’s probably at least close to 400 machines. Slot denominations range from pennies to $5.
This casino would normally feature a few gaming tables (usually just Blackjack) as well as a Bingo Hall, but both of those gambling outlets are closed until further notice. Quite honestly, the casino probably doesn’t make a ton (if anything) off of those anyway.
The Black River Bistro is presently open for breakfast, lunch (or an early) dinner. It does not appear to be open on Sundays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, as of the time of this writing. Another option for quick eats is the Poker Bar, but that is also closed on Tuesdays, so do not visit the casino on Tuesdays for the time being unless you want to have to leave the property to eat.
This place functions mainly as a locals casino, but is also a very nice and modern hotel that you should consider if you’re in the area anyway. Given the limited options for the time being, and in general, we’d be hard-pressed to recommend booking a full weekend, but there’s certainly enough to do to justify a visit or overnight stay if you happen to be passing through.
The Ho-Chunk operate a casino in the state’s capital of Madison, Wisconsin. As of the time of this writing, the casino operates from 10:00a-2:00a on weekdays and until 5:00a.m. on weekends.
This sizeable casino (by Native American Casino standards) is home to more than 1,000 slot machines, but strangely, does not have a hotel on the property. Additionally, you wouldn’t even know that the building is a casino if not for the exterior signage. Slot, video poker and video keno denominations range from pennies to $5 and their website claims that the average return-to-player on the slot floor is 95%. I would expect that this number is propped up by video poker, but 95% is still really good even with that being considered.
As of the time of this writing and due to Covid-19, there is no food whatsoever being sold at the property, although alcoholic beverage service is apparently available. I guess getting drunk is essential, but eating, not so much.
Normally, the property’s only eatery would be Gamer’s Grill, which has a casual American food menu at also casual American food prices. As mentioned, that is closed for the time being, but is expected to reopen when Covid-19 is behind us.
This property does not seem to operate Table Games even when there’s not a pandemic going on.
If you happen to be in the area of this casino, then it’s probably going to be worth taking a look around to see if there are any machines you like. Just be forewarned that it essentially amounts to an overgrown slot box with not a whole lot else going on.
Located in Nekoosa, Wood County, this Ho-Chunk property presently operates from 8:00a.m.-2:00a.m. every day of the week.
The property is not home to a hotel of its own, but as of the time of this writing, “Partners,” with many area hotels who will apparently give $10 free play for the casino if you stay with them.
This property is also home to ten gaming tables that spread Blackjack, Pai-Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em and Three-Card Poker. We would recommend calling in advance for the hours of your game of choice as it is unlikely that all of these games are running during all hours of casino operation.
The casino is also home to 345 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines ranging in denomination from pennies to $5. While this is something of a small slot floor, even by local Native American casino standards, the fact that there are also table games is pretty nice.
Normally, there is a casual restaurant called The Grille that would operate, but it is closed as of the time of this writing and expected to reopen after the pandemic. However, there is a snack bar that is open during select hours from Thursday-Sunday.
All told, this is basically just a small locals casino, but it’s probably worth stopping in if you happen to be staying in, or visiting, the area anyway. It’s unfortunate the restaurant is closed at this time because the ambiance is actually quite charming, if not also a little dated.
Tomah, Wisconsin, located in Monroe County is also home to a Ho-Chunk Casino location.
As of the time of this writing and March 2020, the casino was closed due to Covid-19. Unfortunately, it is unknown whether or not this property will ever reopen as it serves a pretty small market. This casino is not home to a hotel, though their website links to many hotels in the area.
Ranging from pennies to $5, this slightly overgrown slots parlor is home to approximately 90 total video poker, video keno and slot machines. As we mentioned, this property really only exists to serve locals. There are no dining options, but the nearby convenience store is also owned by the Ho Chunk.
Unless you’re in this area for an extended period, there’s really no reason to stop at this location. Stopping here would only be a goal if you were making it a point to stop in every Tribal casino in the state.
Located in Baraboo, Wisconsin, Sauk County, this is another location owned and operated by the Ho-Chunk. In addition to a larger event center (all events have been postponed) this casino also features live entertainment at the Spirit Bar Stage located next to the Spirit Bar.
This entertainment takes place on weekends with bands actually playing there as of the time of this writing, so that’s refreshing!!! Let people take their own risks if they want to.
This property is more in the line of sizeable family destination Native American casino properties as the resort features a combined 302 stylish and modern guest rooms and suites. Additionally, there is a Kids Quest arcade center, so you won’t have to be worried about the little ones being bored if you’re tooling around with them in tow. The property is also home to an RV Park, if you happen to be touring around by that means.
Guests will enjoy complimentary access to wireless internet. The availability of the property amenities may vary for the time being, so call ahead or check their website, but there is normally an indoor pool, hot tub, fitness center, business center and sauna. Every room in the hotel also has a coffee maker and safe.
This casino floor is home to a number of Table Games. Amongst these, Roulette, Mississippi Stud, Three Card Poker and Four-Card Poker are temporarily unavailable, so check their website or call ahead to see if that has changed. Blackjack, Craps and EZ Baccarat seem to be available as of the time of this writing, but it wouldn’t hurt for you to call and be sure as these things are always changing due to Covid.
This location would normally house a bingo room as well as an off-track betting (simulcast) area, but those are temporarily closed as of the time of this writing.
The casino has one of the biggest slot floors, if not the biggest, in the entire state and is home to well over 2,000 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines. They have also recently installed a, “Bubble Craps,” game, which is popular among the players.
The Spirit Bar is the property’s main bar which occasionally has live entertainment on weekends that we mentioned before. It typically has some grab and go type foods, as well. Copper Oak Steakhouse and Lounge is closed as of the time of this writing, but can typically be thought of as an upper-casual type place, but just short of being truly fine dining. Finally, the Ho-Chunk Grill is open for lunch and dinner as of the time this was written.
Overall, we recommend staying for a weekend at this casino if you happen to be visiting that area of the state anyway. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the region and want something to do for a weekend, even if you’re maybe travelling with kids. There’s a wider complement of table games than you will find at most other Native American casinos in the state, a huge casino floor, multiple dining options and it appears generally live entertainment on weekends.
That brings us to Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg, which is the final Ho-Chung destination to be covered. It is located in Shawano County.
This property features an average-sized hotel consisting of 77 guest rooms and nine suites for a total of 86 units. In terms of quality, the aesthetics are fairly modern and it is probably comparable to a fairly nice limited service chain hotel…though the service here is pretty excellent. During the week, they often have Stay and Play deals by which each guest will receive a particular amount in free play, the only odd thing about that is that you get more (in value) the more people there are in the room.
All guests will enjoy having a refrigerator and microwave in their rooms as well as complimentary wireless Internet access.
Ranging in denominations from pennies to $25, the casino floor at Ho-Chunk is home to well over 500 slot machines, video poker and video keno games.
The casino is mostly in the process of replacing the majority of their table games with electronic versions, as of the time of this writing. There was already a Craps machine, and that remains, but there is now (or will soon be) stadium Blackjack, Baccarat, Three-Card Poker and Triple-Zero Roulette.
If you’re asking yourself, “Should Roulette really have three zeroes?”
The answer is: No, it shouldn’t. It shouldn’t even REALLY have two, but that’s been accepted by many a sucker out there.
I love how they say, “Triple-Zero Roulette,” as if that’s an actual special feature and doesn’t add significantly to the house edge of the game.
They also have a special room called, “The Dragon’s Den,” which features 22 machines that all have a dragon theme of one kind or another. I guess that’s at least neat from a thematic point of view, and it might be the room for you if you really love dragons. I wish I still had my silk dragon shirt from high school, I’d wear that in there because it would be funny.
The Forest Edge is a snack bar for quick eats and quickly made eats that serves all three meals of the day at, quite frankly, unbelievably low prices by casino standards. I’m sure that it’s basically the same food that you could get at a bowling alley, but you’d also be getting it for bowling alley prices. The River’s Edge would normally be a restaurant buffet combo, but it is closed for the time being. The Village Bar is the property’s primary bar and other snacks are available at the casino’s gift shop.
Overall, we would recommend this property for an overnight stay if you’re relatively nearby or happen to be passing through the area anyway. The hotel is basically like a really nice Comfort Inn, or maybe something like a Fairfield Inn, in terms of quality and appointment…but there’s a casino there. It’ll definitely do and give you something to do for one night, so as a Wisconser would say, “Check it out once quick.”
Just make sure to stay away from the triple-zero Roulette. Just reading that triggers my gag reflex.
The IMAC stands for Irma Moore Activity Center and this property is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and is owned and operated by the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.
The Oneida Tribe also owns four other casino properties in the State of Wisconsin, so we will make those the next four that we list.
As of the time of this writing, the casino is open from 8:00a.m.-Midnight on weekdays and stays open until 2:00a.m. on weekends. The casino floor features in the neighborhood of 400 machines that include video poker, video keno and slots.
In addition, the Bingo Room has at least one Bingo event every day of the week, so you can check out the IMAC page of the Oneida website if you’re looking for more details on that, we don’t want to republish the hours here because bingo hours often change.
The property has RV Parking available at a cost of $15/day as of the time of this writing. There’s no restaurant exactly, but there is a concession stand that serves quick eats lunch and dinner foods…it is located towards the back of the Bingo area. Apparently, this activity center is also home to a tobacco shop.
The OTB seems to have been dropped from the official name, so it’s quite likely that they don’t offer it anymore. I put a call into their main line and was able to discover that this location no longer offers Off-Track Betting, so their official name has been changed accordingly.
The operator does not expect off-track betting to ever return to this location, so you’ll want to look elsewhere if that’s what you’re into.
It’s basically an oversized slot parlor and bingo hall, but the people are really nice, so we recommend stopping in and saying hi once quick if you happen to be in that area of Green Bay anyway.
This casino is located near the airport in Green Bay and is actually listed as being on airport drive, so if you’re flying in, you won’t have far to go to get your gambling fix! This casino is open from 8:00a.m.-4:00a.m. every day of the week.
The property is home to around 1,100 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines ranging in denomination from pennies to $100 slots, which are something of a rarity in the state.
There are several table games also available at this location which include Blackjack, EZ Baccarat, Four-Card Poker, Roulette, Three-Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, Mississippi Stud and Craps. Of course, not all of these games are going to be operating during the greater casino’s operating times, so we would recommend calling ahead for the usual hours for your game of choice.
The property is also home to a poker room consisting of eight tables dealing No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha and Seven-Card Stud. As of the time of this writing, poker is only available on weekends from noon until 4:00a.m. or whenever the games die out. These hours might be expanded in the future, so we would recommend checking their website if you are going to be in the area during the week.
This property is not home to a hotel, but given that it is at the Green Bay airport, there are any number of hotels nearby. The only location other than the dining and the casino itself is a smoke and gift shop located on the property.
Vince Lombardi’s Sports Bar and Grill is temporarily closed as of the time of this writing, but would normally operate during certain hours on Thursday-Sunday, so we recommend calling ahead or checking their website to see if that has changed. There is a location called Grill Masters at the food court which is presently operating and serves casual American food. There would normally be a deli as well as a fried chicken stand, but both of those are temporarily closed as of the time of this writing.
Finally, there is a noodle bar named, appropriately enough, Noodle Bar. According to their website, it is open every day except Saturday…which is almost certainly a mistake. Most likely, it’s open during various hours seven days per week.
Basically, this property is convenient to the airport and consists of a few eateries and is mainly just a place to gamble. If nothing else, it’s perhaps a good place to kill a little bit of time if your flight gets delayed, or something, but it’s not exactly a full resort casino experience by any stretch of the imagination.
This Oneida Casino is located on West Mason Street, also in Green Bay. This small property has a colorful and eclectic aesthetic from the outside, but is honestly little more than a slots parlor on steroids.
The slot, video poker and video keno machines, nearly 800 of them in fact, are the only form of gambling available at this location. The denomination range is not specified on their page of the website, though they do make it a point to mention that they have a non-smoking area in addition to the main slots floor.
This location is home to a casual American eatery called The Lodge that is open for lunch and dinner. The prices are about what you would expect from any other casual American pub-style restaurant, and so are the offerings. The property is also home to a smoke shop.
If you happen to be in the area of West Mason Street in Green Bay, then it’s probably worth stopping in to check out the assortment of machines. If not, then there’s not really any reason to go out of your way for this one.
This location has some slot machines, a convenience store and a gas station.
This is the same thing as above, though the mini-casino for slots is closed as of the time of this writing.
This listing will be the first of the St. Croix Casino locations that we will cover. There are three branded casinos and also a community center, which apparently has or had some gambling options…which we will address later.
All locations are owned and operated by St Croix Chippewa. This first location is located in Danbury, Burnett County, Wisconsin and is home to both a casino and a hotel.
The hotel arm of the property is home to a combined 47 guest rooms and suites. Despite the small size of the hotel, it has a surprising amount of offerings including wireless internet, microwave and refrigerator in every room, coffee makers in every room, an indoor pool and hot tub, fitness center, arcade and conference center. Just based on that alone, we would recommend this location for your overnight stay if you happen to be in the Danbury area, plenty of stuff for the whole family to do.
The room appointments are essentially totally basic, but the rooms are clean and the service of all staff members is up there with anyone else. We should mention that the arcade is closed as of the time of this writing, but should reopen in the somewhat near future.
The casino is open from 6:00a.m.-2:00a.m. and features roughly 500 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines ranging in denomination from pennies to five-spots. Additionally, the, “Big Three,” table games of Blackjack, Roulette and Craps are available here. We should mention that tables don’t operate necessarily during all casino hours of operation, so we would recommend calling ahead for your game of choice.
In normal times, there would be live music on some weekends at the casino bar, but that is temporarily cancelled, so we would recommend calling ahead if that’s important to you.
The East Winds Dining Room is perhaps the primary sit-down restaurant for the property and features casual American food as well as a few choices of steaks. The prices are comparable to what you would find at similar chain restaurants.
The casino would normally have a buffet called the South Winds Buffet, but that is temporarily closed (due to Covid) as of the time of this writing. We recommend checking their website or calling the property in advance of your trip to see if that has changed if the buffet is important to you.
The North Winds Deli is your place for grab and go as well as quick eats and serves mostly soups and sandwiches.
We definitely recommend considering this property for your stay if you are going to be in the Danbury area anyway, or maybe scheduling a stop if you’re just driving through the state. If you live in the region, it’s worth giving it a look if you haven’t yet and there’s probably just enough there (especially when the buffet opens back up) to justify making a weekend staycation out of it.
Unlike the Danbury property, the St. Croix Casino Turtle Lake, located in Barron Polk County, is not home to a hotel. This property is open from 10:00-Midnight on weekdays and stays open until 2:00a.m. on weekends.
The table games area is home to over twenty tables which includes eleven Blackjack tables. Table maximums on Blackjack are as high as $500, which is actually a pretty good sized maximum by state of Wisconsin standards. Other table games include Three-Card Poker, Four Card Poker and Pai-Gow Poker. This property would normally house a poker room, but that is temporarily closed as of the time of this writing with no scheduled reopening date.
The casino would normally have Craps and Roulette games, but those might be temporarily unavailable, as well. Again, we’d recommend calling and asking in advance of your visit.
The property is home to roughly 1,000 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines, which is about the average for a casino property in the state.
The Me-Ki-Noc Restaurant serves all three of the day and features casual American food at casual prices. It’s pretty much the equivalent of a diner chain. The TLC Buffet is closed as of the time of this writing, but would normally operate for lunch and dinner. Finally, there is a concession stand for grab and go type foods and quick to make sandwiches.
This is mainly going to be a locals casino, but it’s worth stopping in for a look if you are travelling through the area anyway, or live nearby. There’s not much that would make us go out of our way too far to see this one, though.
Located in Webster, Burnett County, Wisconsin…some listing sites refer to this as the St. Croix Little Turtle, or some other such name, but we’re going to go by what St. Croix’s website calls it.
This is a popular stop for truckers and those travelling by RV as it features a truckers’ lounge as well as an RV Park, those aside, there are no other overnight accommodations at this property.
The casino floor consists of about 250 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines.
Gatherings Restaurant is the property’s only eatery that is pretty spacious and equivalent in price to your usual low-end Casual American restaurant. The selections are similarly comparable.
In short, this is pretty much the definition of a locals place, but it’s probably worth a stop if you’re travelling through the state by RV and happen to be nearby.
The Legendary Waters Resort and Casino is owned and operated by the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and is located in Bayfield, Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
This property is home to a smallish hotel consisting of 47 guest rooms and suites, combined. They say that every room has a view of Lake Superior and Apostle Islands, so at least you’ll have a nice shot from your window for Facebook. All guests will have access to wireless internet, all rooms come equipped with a microwave and refrigerator and the hotel features an indoor pool and hot tub.
The casino floor is open from 8;00a.m. to midnight daily and the slot floor ranges in denomination from pennies to $5. The casino features something in the neighborhood of 300 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines.
Table Games are temporarily unavailable at this time, but you’re not really missing anything unless you like Blackjack, because that’s the only table game that they would normally have anyway.
Eateries would normally include Legends Sports Grill, which is offering limited service of the time of this writing. Legendary Buffet would also normally be in operation, but it is temporarily closed, so if you might visit this casino, we would recommend calling ahead to see if that has changed.
We’re not really sure what makes this a resort, but as readers certainly know, that’s a word that gets tossed around a lot. What you really have is a small mainly locals casino with limited offerings that happens to be near a lake. The best word to describe it is, “Quiet,” which might be your cup of tea…so check it out if that’s the case!
The Mole Lake Casino is located in Crandon in Forest County, Wisconsin. It is owned and operated by the Sokaogon Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
This casino was closed for the better part of the year due to Covid-19, but it is scheduled to reopen on February 1st, 2021.
In terms of the lodging, the main change taking place when they open is that there temporarily won’t be any. However, the property usually features a hotel consisting of 75 guest rooms and suites with amenities including a business center, wireless internet access, indoor pool and fitness center.
The casino would normally feature a Bingo room, but that is going to be temporarily closed as of the time they reopen. Table Games will also be temporarily closed, but that doesn’t matter unless you like Blackjack, because that was the only table game (six tables) they had anyway.
Covid-19 probably has an impact on the eateries, but Cafe Manoomin would normally be a casual American dining establishment that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ban’Gi Bistro is located inside of the Bingo Hall and is a glorified concession stand, because Bingo is not operating, this won’t be either until Bingo reopens. Windtalkers is the casino’s main bar located in the center of the casino, but would normally serve appetizers, pizza and other quick eats.
Personally, I’m not a fan of these half measures, because it’s tantamount to admitting that you only;y really care about the slot machine revenue. If you’re going to reopen, other than social distancing measures, just reopen. If not, stay closed. In any event, there’s really no reason to visit this one unless you happen to be in the immediate area anyway, Covid or no Covid.
The Potawatomi Carter Casino Hotel is located in Carter, Forest County, and is owned and operated by the Forest County Potawatomi Indian Tribe. As of the time of this writing, the casino has announced that they will be open 24/7 beginning in February, 2021.
The property is home to a hotel that consists of a combined 98 guest rooms and suites. All rooms have wireless internet access, refrigerators and microwaves. There would normally be an indoor pool and hot tub, but those are closed as of the time of this writing. The overall aesthetics of the hotel are very late-90’s and the rooms seem a bit dated, but are clean and comfortable.
The slot floor consists of roughly 500 combined slot, video poker and video keno games ranging in denominations from pennies to $5. Table Games include Blackjack, Three-Card Poker and Craps with Electronic Roulette and Electronic Blackjack also available.
Get this, “The health and safety of our guests and team members is of the utmost importance. Promotions have been suspended and will be revised and rescheduled. Thank you for your cooperation with our new procedures.” However, Bingo itself is open on weekends. There are no Bingo promotions, but Bingo itself lives on. You know, totally for your safety or whatever.
The Flames Sports Bar and Grill has casual American bar fare. The Springs Restaurant has casual American food.
Personally, I would recommend avoiding this casino unless you live in the area. It takes some serious audacity to say that you’re cancelling promotions, “For the safety of our guests,” while you continue to offer the same game in the same area. Table games are going, that’s fine. Slot machines are going, that’s fine. Bingo is fine. Promotions—UNSAFE!!!
The Potawatomi Hotel and Casino is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin…because there’s no way this could ever be easily confused with the Carter location. Could you imagine if you just said, “Give me directions to Potawatomi Casino,” then either Siri or Google picked the wrong one, and you ended up three hours away from your intended destination? That’s why casinos, at a minimum, should come up with unique names.
Milwaukee—Milwaukee Brewers—The Brewery Casino and Hotel.
How easy was that? The theme takes care of itself, you just make it brewery themed. Have one of the restaurants have one of the biggest selections of microbrews available anywhere in the state. I could come up with more ideas for this, but that’s all I am going to give them for free.
Seriously. How boring and unimaginative. Let’s just call both casinos the name of the tribe…brilliant. I’d rather go visit Lake of the Torches Casino because at least that one has a kick ass name.
The hotel aspect of the property consists of two hotel towers, one of them fairly new, and brings the total room count to around 500 including guest rooms and a wide variety of suites with different sizes, amenities and niceties. The property is also home to a salon and spa, which is temporarily closed as well as a TopGolf Swing Suite, also temporarily closed. Guests of the property will enjoy free access to wireless internet as well as refrigerators and coffee makers in all guest rooms.
The appointment of the hotel area and the rooms is stylish and ultra-modern with many new furnishings. Given the Downtown Milwaukee location, the aesthetics of the hotel similarly have something of a big city vibe to them, and this is easily one of the nicest hotels in the city, even if you’re not there to gamble.
This casino is normally open 24/7 and is home to over 2,500 slot machines, making this one of the largest slot floors in the state. Denominations on video poker, video keno and slots range from pennies to $100 credits. This is one of the few casinos in the state to have machines at the $100 denomination.
Table Games are temporarily closed as of the time of this writing, but would normally be in operation 24/7 with over 100 tables to choose from assuming full capacity. Table Games would normally include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, Mississippi Stud and Let it Ride. Even during normal times, not every single game offered is going to be available around the clock, so we would recommend calling in advance for the usual times of your game of choice.
The Bingo Room is temporarily closed as of the time of this writing and has a unique feel to it compared to any other Bingo room anywhere. The aesthetic can best be described as, “Loud,” with chairs and tables of a wide variety of colors. Apparently, during normal times, there is also a bingo dance party on weekends with glow lights, glow sticks, dancing, music…and simultaneously still Bingo games. Count me out. Maybe people younger than me are into that sort of thing, I don’t know.
Off-Track Betting is not in operation as of the time of this writing, but normally would be.
The twenty table Poker Room is temporarily closed as of the time of this writing, but would normally feature both Limit and No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha and Seven-Card Stud. They claim that, during normal times, at least one table is ready for play 24/7. That would certainly be unique.
The Canal Street Cafe is one of the property’s eateries and consists of casual American food and sandwiches. The Fire Pit Sports Bar and Grill does what it says on the box. Ruyi is an authentic Asian and Sushi bar. As of the time of this writing, on a temporary basis, only takeout is available at any of these eateries.
This property is probably more of a destination for younger players or people who want a loud and in your face sort of ambience with their gambling. That’s especially true of the Bingo room, which makes me question if the designers have ever BEEN to a Bingo room to have any idea of the average age of Bingo players. It’s hard to dance when you need a walker to get around is all I’m saying.
What we can’t take away from this property is the fact that there a ton of different gambling options, if it’s legal in the state—they have it. They have the widest selection of machines and poker games, and are up there when it comes to their selection of table games, so it’s difficult for us not to recommend checking it out if you’re in Milwaukee.
The Menominee Casino Resort is located in Keshena, Menominee County, and is owned and operated by the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin.
The property’s hotel consists of 100 total combined guest rooms and suites. Hotel guests will enjoy complimentary refrigerators and coffee makers in every room, as well as access to wireless internet. Other amenities include an indoor pool and fitness center.
You’re in luck if you’re travelling by RV as this property has 67 spots for RV’s, of which 27 have electrical hookups.
This casino also features a number of nearby and adjunct properties owned by the same entity, which are listed on their website and will be copied here:
Gaming Floor/Casino – Now open 24 hours
Spirit Island Lounge – Sunday-Thursday: 10am – 2am | Friday & Saturday: 10am – 2:30am
Thunderbird Mini-Casino – Sunday-Thursday: Noon – 10pm | Friday & Saturday 10am – Midnight
Thunderbird C-Store – Sunday-Thursday: 8am – 10pm | Friday & Saturday: 8am – Midnight
Thunderbird Restaurant – Carry-Out ONLY | Noon – 9pm
The Spirit Island Lounge is basically part of the casino. The Thunderbird Mini-Casino is off of the convenience store and, I believe, has its slot count included with that of the main casino. In any event, there’s not really much there aside from some slot machines, so it doesn’t necessarily warrant a full listing.
In total, the property accounts for something in the area of 850-900 machines, all machines included. These video poker, slot and video keno machines range in denominations from pennies to at least $5 and maybe a $25 or $100 machine here or there.
The property is home to eleven table games, of which six are Blackjack. Other table games include Three-Card Poker, Let it Ride, Craps, Roulette and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em. Unfortunately, Table Games are temporarily closed as of the time of this writing, so we recommend checking their website or calling them to see if that has changed since this was written.
There is also normally a poker room consisting of eight tables, mainly Texas Hold ‘Em, but that is also temporarily closed as of the time of this writing. It’s actually quite possible that the poker room will be permanently closed.
There is a Bingo Room at this property, but it is closed until further notice as of the time of this writing.
Forest Island is the property’s casual eatery and serves all three meals of the day from 8:00a.-8:00p.m. Autumn Leaf Cafe is similarly a sit down place for casual American food, but it is closed until further notice as of the time of this writing. The Thunderbird Restaurant and Convenience store is listed and nearby, but it has a totally different address from the casino.
During normal times, the Spirit Island Lounge would occasionally feature free live entertainment on weekends, but all entertainment is cancelled until further notice.
Basically, the slot machines make enough money for them to justify staying open on a limited basis and everything else is going to have to wait until after Covid. Make no mistake that none of this has anything to do with safety, quite simply, they just don’t want to potentially take a loss in other areas. If safety were really the biggest priority, then they would close the casino completely.
I’m not saying I want them to do that. If I had my way, everything would be open.
Anyway, check them out after the pandemic is all said and done. Or don’t. This is a medium-sized casino that caters mostly to locals, so you’re not missing anything.
See Seven Winds Casino directly below, these are the same thing.
The Seven Winds Casino is located in Hayward, Sawyer County, Wisconsin and is owned and operated by the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
The casino is home to a lodge whose lobby and sitting area features an aesthetically-pleasing rustic outdoors theme, but that theme is sadly not carried over to the 75 combined guest rooms and suites. Guest will enjoy a coffee maker and wireless internet in all rooms, but this is one of the few casino-hotel properties in the state where you must be in a suite to have a refrigerator. Weak. You can get those for about forty bucks each.
There would normally be an indoor pool, spa and sauna, but all of those are temporarily closed as of the time of this writing. If those are essential to your stay, then you’ll want to call or check their website in the future to see if that has changed. There is, however, a business area in the lobby as well as a fitness room that is currently open.
As far as the rooms go, they’re extremely plain and have no thematic element whatsoever. They’re clean, but are otherwise no different than a chain economy hotel.
The casino floor is home to somewhere between 650-700 slot machines, video poker and video keno games. This casino in particular does a pretty good job of making sure that some of the newer games are offered.
Table Games are only operating Friday-Sunday as of the time of this writing. We must guess that playing Table Games Monday-Thursday is unsafe due to Covid-19, but weekends are perfectly safe. Table Games include Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, Down Under Hold ‘Em, Free Bet Blackjack (this is a separate game, not a side bet) and Three Card Poker. Craps and Roulette are bad for your health at this time, either that or they don’t make very much money.
There would normally be a small poker area that deals mainly No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, but that is temporarily closed as of the time of this writing.
The Ho-Wah Buffet is temporarily closed as of the time of this writing. The Kinnikkinnik Basket is your place for quick eats and grab and go items, and it is open during limited hours at this time. Those are the property’s only two eateries, so perhaps check their website or call to see if the situation on the buffet has changed.
Overall, we would really only recommend this one if you’re in the area or have to pass through that area anyway. It’s perfectly fine for a locals’ casino and has a reasonable enough array of gambling offerings and hotel amenities, (for its size) but there’s no reason to go out of your way to visit this one.
This is what I’m talking about when it comes to a resort. The North Star Mohican Casino Resort is located in Bowler, Shawano County, Wisconsin and maybe has enough to justify the resort designation. The first thing you’ll notice is the outside aesthetic with the lights that shoot up into the sky as well as the changing colors on the building’s facade that at least give the initial impression that you’ve come to a cool Vegas-style place.
Hell, maybe they’re a little past their prime, but the Event Center even brings in somewhat big acts. Montgomery Gentry, Jeff Foxworthy and Michael Bolton are all on tap for 2021 as of the time of this writing.
Between guest rooms and suites, the total unit count for the hotel stands at 129. All of the rooms have in-room coffeemakers and 55’ HDTV’s.
One thing that perhaps sucks is that if you’re not in one of the suites that already comes with a microwave and/or refrigerator, the hotel wants you to rent one off of them for an additional $10 fee for each. That’s so cheap! I should refuse to recommend this place based on that alone, but we will continue.
Fitness center, internet, business center and RV parking available. Modern-appointed rooms, blah, blah, blah who cares? I’m really annoyed that they want $10 to give you a refrigerator. Either give people a refrigerator or don’t give them one…that’s ridiculous.
Casino floor has over 1,200 slot machines ranging in denominations from pennies to $25.
Table Games are all temporarily closed, but would normally include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Let it Ride, Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em.
They want to charge you $10 to use a refrigerator. Not to mention that you now have to wait around in your room for the damn thing to arrive when they should want you downstairs gambling.
The poker room is temporarily closed.
If you are travelling with kids and want to warm up some milk in the microwave for them, that will cost you $10.
Need your insulin to be kept cold? That’s fine, but this property needs $10.
Eateries, they have some. Feel free to check them out on their website. $10 to rent a refrigerator for your hotel room…I can’t even keep typing this with a straight face—NEXT!!!
I hope that this place is awesome, because it has an awesome name. The Lake of the Torches Resort Casino is located near Lac de Flambeau (makes the name of the casino fitting) and is owned and operated by Lac du Flambeau band of Lake Superior Chippewa. This is all located in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
The exterior aesthetic of the property is really interesting, because it looks like a sort of oversized cabin that you would find out in the woods. I guess the goal here was to have it kind of blend and befit the surrounding environment, and I’ve got to say, mission accomplished! I could definitely understand why you wouldn’t want a ridiculously shiny building with lights of colors that I can’t even identify screwing up the lake view.
I believe that this hotel was built with 99 guest rooms and two suites for no purpose other than to use, “More than 100,” on their website. That’s amusing, but acceptable. There are 101.
Guests will enjoy complimentary wireless internet access, coffee makers in every room, business center, indoor pool, fitness center and refrigerators. Lake of the Torches Resort does not even want $10 for you to use their refrigerator, that comes included…as it does with any casino in the state NOT named North Star Mohican.
The Woodland’s Oasis has a special pool for relaxing, kiddie pool and an arcade. Unfortunately, as of the time of this writing, it is a temporary casualty of Covid. We will look forward to that opening back up because it would be easy to recommend this resort to those travelling with kids when those amenities are available.
There are more than 800 combined slots, video poker and video keno games with a partial list of titles available on the property’s website.
Bingo is closed as of the time of this writing, but Lake of the Torches expects it to open back up after the pandemic.
Table Games would normally consist only of Blackjack and CRaps, but Craps is closed for the time being. If that’s important to you, we recommend checking their website or calling ahead to see if that has changed.
The Eagle’s Nest Restaurant serves all three of the day and has the selection and pricing that would be roughly equivalent to a Midscale American restaurant. Woody’s Bar and Grill serves quick bites and sandwiches as well as having some machines located within its outdoorsy themed environment.
Honestly, you wouldn’t be out of line to wish for another restaurant or two, but Lake of the Torches is definitely a somewhat unique property surrounded by beautiful scenery and has just enough to do to make a weekend out of it. I’m going to say that’s true if you’re anywhere in the region, or happen to be travelling to that area of the state anyway.
According to Wisconsin Statute 945.035, any private resident can own a slot machine as long as it’s considered an antique gaming device. In order to meet this qualification, it must be at least 25 years old.
Residents may keep and play these machines in their residence, as long as they don’t do so for profit. Friends and neighbors can also come over and give the devices a try, but it’s considered a crime as soon as the owner starts making money.
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The only changes that we expect in the relatively near future are for the Tribal Casinos to be authorized to offer sports betting, at some point.
For everything else, it’s extremely unlikely that greyhound or even horse racing ever makes a come back for more than an occasional horse racing meet here and there. It’s possible that the state will eventually legalize and regulate online gambling, as a function of the Native American casinos, but that seems pretty far-fetched. Honestly, there’s really no reason for the state to want to do that since their revenues don’t really have much to do with how much in profits the casinos actually make.
It’s unlikely that the state will ever authorize and regulate its own land commercial casinos because that would put it in direct competition with the tribes. As we said before, they mostly seem content to just let the tribes have the gambling…which is refreshing in a way.
They may not have everything, but if you enjoy gambling, you could definitely do worse than Wisconsin.
