The Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Wisconsin is the first Tribal casino property to join a nascent program designed to create uniform self-exclusion across Tribal casinos nationwide.

“We are committed to making sure our guests are aware of the risks associated with gaming and providing resources to those who need it,” Potawatomi Casino Hotel CEO and General Manager Dominic Ortiz said. “We look forward to working with other Tribal nations with the growth of the Tribal-Wide Self-Exclusion Program (TWSEP).”

The Forest County Potawatomi Community, a federally recognized Indian tribe, is the owner and operator of the casino in Milwaukee.

A New Jersey company called idPair is powering the TWSEP.

“We’re thrilled to announce that Potawatomi Casino Hotel has become the first Tribal operator to join the Tribal-Wide Self-Exclusion Program,” said Jonathan Aiwazian, CEO at idPair. “Potawatomi has shown true leadership in player protection and paved the way for a growing number of launches we have in the pipeline in the coming months.”

Approximately 240 Tribal nations operate over 500 casinos in the U.S.

What Is the Tribal Self-Exclusion Program?

Casino self-exclusion is a tool to ban yourself from entering the property. It can be one of the most effective recovery tools for gambling addiction. It is, however, not a preventative measure.

Returning to a casino to gamble after self-excluding can lead to arrest and forfeiture of any winnings from gambling.

The Tribal-wide self-exclusion program was launched in March 2025. Individual Tribal casinos across the country can have their own self-exclusion lists. TWSEP aims to bring them all under one umbrella.

According to Aiwazian, TWSEP “ensures Tribal sovereignty, keeping Tribal data securely under Tribal control, while creating a unified, scalable approach to self-exclusion and player protection.”

For the Potawatomi Casino, gamblers can initiate self-exclusion by contacting the property at 414-847-7608. You can also ask to speak with someone from security or guest relations while visiting the casino.

Impact of Voluntary Self-Exclusion

The U.S. federal government does not have any gambling self-exclusion programs. Often, states with casino gambling offer self-exclusion in partnership with licensed casinos.

This means that a person with a gambling problem who self-excludes in one state could travel to another state to continue gambling. Some commercial casino operators implement self-exclusion across states, but they are not required to do so.

A national program across Tribal casinos could close some gaps.

Self-exclusion is a powerful tool to combat addiction, but implementation determines its effectiveness. A recent University of Memphis study found that some commercial casinos are doing an abysmal job with self-exclusion programs.

Casinos must commit to their self-exclusion programs so they actually work at reducing harm.

Self-exclusion is a pillar of so-called “responsible gaming.” The World Health Organization has criticized models that put the burden on individuals to control their addictive gambling behavior, rather than on the industry’s games, products, and marketing.