Envision a getaway of lights, gambling and world-class entertainment. Las Vegas is nearly 1,800 miles from Milwaukee, but Wisconsin's biggest little casinos offer up the thrill and excitement of slots, blackjack and bingo (minus Siegfried and Roy), right in your backyard.
Potawatomi Bingo Casino paysbig.com
1721 W. Canal St., (414) 645-6888
Open 24 hours
As one of Wisconsin's leading entertainment getaways, Potawatomi Bingo Casino, located in Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley, amuses thousands daily with world-class restaurants, national performers and exciting gaming.
Whether you're in it for the money or you simply feel lucky, Potawatomi has the largest daily bingo pay outs in America. Each day a minimum of $50,000 is paid out to players, who come from all over the world to wander through slot machines, blackjack tables and video poker machines. A new addition in 2008 added nearly 500,000 square feet; tripling the casino's size.
The hallmark of any casino, slots, are what you see first when you walk past the casino's Sacred Fire. In total, the casino now holds over 3,100 slot machines.
And it doesn't stop there. Potawatomi has also added numerous other slots including Little Green Men, Smokin' Sevens, Blazing Sevens, Black Panther, Wild Amazon, The Gambler, Boot Scootin', X-Factor, Jackpot Stampede and Triple Dollar with Mystery Reel.
Blackjack anyone? Take your pick from 24 tables with betting limits ranging from $5-25 and with a maximum bet of $200. The casino offers blackjack daily, beginning at 10 a.m. The high roller room opens at noon.
Despite its Vegas-like charm, the casino still caters to bingo players, too, and playing bingo at Potawatomi is not simply sitting down and daubing. Their new bingo hall offers luxury bingo suites, table-side food service, smoking and non-smoking sections, and large TV monitors throughout.
Plain old bingo isn't the only game, either. Potawatomi offers a variety of bingo programs with a slice of fun and skill. They serve up "Hot Ball," "Bonanza Bingo," "Pot-of-Gold," "All Star Special," "Pick 8 Special," "Speed Ball," "Money Machine," "New Car Game," "8-13," "Bingo Storm" and computer bingos including "Power Bingo" and "Rocket Bingo."
Poker more your style of game? The new Poker Room has 20 tables with options ranging from "Texas Hold'em," "Omaha" and "Seven Card Stud."
If you're not an avid player, or simply don't know how to play, Potawatomi provides friendly and knowledgeable volunteers who are ready to give you all the assistance you need.
When you've cashed in your last chip, the entertainment is just beginning. The Northern Lights Theater hosts national acts and the Fire Pit Sports Grill offers good food and plenty of TVs to watch sports. You can also get alcohol, which isn't served on the casino floor.
Dream Dance, an elegant restaurant usually rated among the best in Milwaukee, serves quality steaks and seafood with three-person service teams to cater to your every need.
Oneida Bingo and Casino oneidabingoandcasino.net
2020/2100 Airport Dr., Green Bay, (920) 494-4500
Open 24 hours
Oneida Bingo and Casino, located in Green Bay, possesses all the great assets that any casino should.
The Oneida gaming complex has lots of slots. The gambling hall currently offers 2,800 reel slot and video machines, including nickel, quarter, fifty-cent, dollar and five dollar reel slot, video poker, video blackjack and video keno machines.
Slot bays throughout the casino include games which pay out thousands of dollars in jackpots such as "Megabucks," "Quartermania" and "Nickelmania." Other slot bays feature thrilling game machines such as "Elvis," "Wheel of Fortune" and "Money Time" that give way to grand prizes such as cars, boats and motorcycles.
Oneida offers more blackjack tables than many of its neighbors and you're bound to find a table that suits you. Table limits range from $3-200. For those of you who aren't sure how to play, Oneida's staff will help guide you through your first couple of hands.
Bingo is the name-o in the Irene Moore Activity Center. The hall seats 850 players each session with a smoke free area. Oneida Bingo also features exciting high stakes bingo with jackpots growing larger as the day moves on.
Oneida aims at keeping the fun going for each visit by offering a variety of bingo games like "Black Out," "Outline Diamond," "Tic Tac Toe" and "Do-It-Yourself Bingo."
Oneida offers entertainment variety, with headliners like Lynyrd Skynrd, Kenny Rogers, Poison, Sylvia Browne, David Cassidy, Los Lobos, Blues Traveler and more.
When your stomach starts to rumble, Oneida provides a variety of food and beverages with three restaurants and snack bars.
The Gathering offers a cafeteria type menu with rotisserie chicken as one of their daily specials. Three Sisters provides an impressive, chef-prepared daily buffet. The Shenandoah is an elegant dining experience with a touch of class. The Blackjack Snack Shop and The Coffee Cup offer quick eats.
Ho-Chunk Casino and Bingo ho-chunk.com
S3214A Hwy. 12, Baraboo, (800) 746-2486
Open 24 hours
Get your game on at Ho-Chunk Casino and Bingo. High stakes bingo, blackjack and slots are just the beginning. Ho-Chunk offers excellent dining and entertainment for your ultimate casino experience.
Ho-Chunk offers more than 1,200 reel and direct pay machines with minimum bets of nickel, quarter, dollar and five dollars. Featured machines include "Triple Diamond," "Sizzling 7's," Double Black Tie," "Lucky Ducks," "Go Bananas," "Hot Peppers," "Triple Cash," and "Money Storm."
Their slot bays also include new multi-game machines such as "Pot-O-Gold" and "Game Maker." And newly added to the casino are non-smoking game rooms with more than 400 slots.
Get lucky 21 in Ho-Chunk's blackjack game room which features 72 blackjack tables with minimum bets ranging from $3-25.
Satisfy your hunger with a break to Ho-Chunk's four casino restaurants. Step into The Copper Oak Steakhouse for a variety of premium entrees or move on over to Wo-Zha-Wa Bar and Grill to enjoy live music and sports programs. If these don't appeal to you, Ho-Chunk also offers the Stand Rock Buffet which offers five lines of entrees, salad and dessert bars, or for a simple snack, you can drop into the Sunrise Cliff Café.
Ho-Chunk entertainment varies day to day with live bands from coast to coast featured in the Wo-Zha-Wa Bar and Grill.
Dairyland Greyhound Park dairylandgreyhoundpark.com
5522 104th Ave., Kenosha, (800) 233-3357
Races held Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:15 p.m., with 1 p.m. matinees on wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and simulcast racing on Monday.
The closing of Geneva Lakes Kennel Club in the fall of 2005 left Dairyland as the only dog track in the state. (Predecessors like Fox Valley Greyhound Park in Kaukauna, the Wisconsin Dells Greyhound Park in Lake Delton and the St. Croix Meadows Greyhound Racing Park in Hudson closed before Geneva Lakes).
Admission to the grandstand is $1, while the sports loung, clubhouse and dining room ont he third floor costs $3. Parking costs $1 for general, $2 for preferred and $3 for valet. (Parking is free during non-live, simulcast only performances.
Other casinos around Wisconsin:
Bad River Bingo and Casino badriver.com
123 Hwy. 2, Odanah, (715) 682-7121
Open 8 a.m.-2 a.m.
Dejope Bingo and Entertainment dejope.com
4002 Evan Acres Road, Madison (888) 248-1777
Open 7 a.m. - 4 a.m. (bingo and slots)
Grindstone Creek Casino lcocasino.com
13767 W. Cty. Rd. B, Hayward, (715) 634-2430
Open 8 a.m. - 2 a.m. Sunday - Thursday and 8 a.m. - 4 a.m. Friday & Saturday
Hole-In-The-Wall Casino and Hotel stcroixcasino.com/holeinthewall
30222 Highway 35 and Highway 77, Danbury, (715) 656-3444
8 a.m.-2 a.m., Sun.-Thurs.; 8 a.m.-3 a.m., Fri.-Sat.
Isle Vista Casino
Lucky Hwy. 13 N, Bayfield, (715) 779-3712
Opens daily at 10 a.m.
Lac Courte Oreilles Casino lacocasino.com
13767 W. Cty. Rd. B, Hayward, (800) LCO-CASH
Open 8 a.m. - 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. - 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Lake of the Torches Resort and Casino lakeofthetorches.com
510 Old Abe Rd., Lac Du Flambeau, (888) 599-9200
Open 24 hours
Little Turtle Hertel Express stcroxcasino.com/hertelexpresscasino
4384 St. Rd. 70, Hertel, (715) 349-5658
Open 24 hours
Majestic Pines Bingo and Casino mpcwin.com/
W9010 Hwy 54 E, Black River Falls, (800) 746-2486
Open 24 hours
Menominee Casino-Bingo Hotel menomineecasinoresort.com
55 Buquaine Rd. & Hwy. 47, Keshena, (800) 343-7778
Open 24 hours
Mohican North Star Casino & Bingo http://www.mohicannorthstar.com/
W12180A Cty. Rd. A, Bowler, (715) 787-3110
Monday through Thursday open 8 a.m. - 2 a.m. Open 24 hours a day from Friday at 8 a.m. - Monday 2 a.m.
Mole Lake Regency Casino & Resort molelake.com
Hwy. 55, Crandon, (715) 478-5290
Open 24 hours
Rainbow Casino rbcwin.com/
949 Cty. Rd. G, Nekoosa, (715) 886-4560
10 a.m.-2 a.m. weekdays
Open 24 hours weekends
St. Croix Casino and Hotel stcroixcasino.com
777 US Hwy. 8, Hwy. 63, Turtle Lake, (715) 986-4777
Open 24 hours
Whitetail Crossing Casino
27867 State Highway 21, Tomah (866) 880-9822
Open 8 a.m. to midnight
