Under an unexpected agreement reached between Gov. Tony Evers and the state's Oneida Nation, legal sports betting in Wisconsin could begin as early as this fall.

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The tribe will be able to launch retail sportsbooks at their casinos because of the new agreement. The federal Department of the Interior has 45 days from the date of the new compact's official receipt to adopt the legal pathways that would allow sports betting.

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“This is a historic day for our state and will serve as a major milestone for our state’s partnership with the Oneida nation for generation to come,” Evers said during the compact signing ceremony Thursday.

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The Oneida Nation said in a statement that if permitted, it plans to open its first sportsbooks by the 2021 football season.

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There was little sign that an agreement would be imminent or even likely in the three years since states were granted the power to authorise sports betting. Evers described the agreement as a "half-year process," but neither the governor's office nor the tribe had made any public announcements about a new compact or sports betting agreement prior to Thursday's announcement.

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Only the tribe's gambling establishments will be able to provide sports betting. The Oneida Nation announced in a statement on Thursday that kiosks and retail betting stations will be available at certain casino locations, and that mobile wagering will be available only on tribal territories. At its main casino near Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport, the tribe plans to open a temporary sportsbook near its sports bar.

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