Sports betting officially comes to Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE — Just in time for the Final Four, Major League Baseball and the NBA playoffs, sports betting officially opened for business for the first time in southeastern Wisconsin at the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.
For sports betting enthusiasts, being able to place a sports bet here at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is a game changer.
Richard Zember was one of the first people to place a bet.
“A $100 wager is going to give me a $250 profit if I hit, so I get $350 back,” said Zember.
However, he is no stranger to sports betting. In the past, Zember said he would have to go to Chicago to place his bets. Now he is looking forward to a much shorter trip.
“I can come here for an hour and place a couple of bets and go on with my day,” Zember said. “That’s 75 miles down there from Milwaukee.”
Before Zember made his bet, Mayor Cavalier Johnson placed the first sports bet in the city’s history on the Milwaukee Bucks winning an NBA championship.
For Sandra Dempsey, it piqued her curiosity.
“It’s interesting to see it in action to see Mayor Cavalier Johnson place the first historic bet and just finding how this works and learning that there are many sports that you can bet on,” Dempsey said. “For me, being Mexican, finding that there are Mexican soccer games you can bet on is super, super interesting.”
The current sports betting setup with 20 kiosks around the casino is a temporary one.
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino said they plan to start renovating the former Northern Lights Theater later this year with the goal of opening the sports book in early 2024.
CEO Dominic Ortiz believes in the meantime, sports betting will still be a valuable asset.
“I think that bringing it to the hometown together with friends and escaping your daily grind and to come in here and get immersed into your sports and place bets and just watch the excitement,” Ortiz said. “It just gives a whole other level of enthusiasm when you got a little money on the game and are watching your favorite team.”
For Zember, it’s also expanded his sports world.
“Well, they make them more exciting. I think sports betting kind of opened my eyes to different sports like tennis and soccer,” said Zember. “I’m excited and the NBA playoffs are going to be a lot of fun, especially if the Bucks are winning.”
With his sports bets placed, Zember is hoping to win some extra money and looks forward to placing more bets in the future a little closer to home.
