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Saying it could take several months to make a decision on a Kenosha casino, Gov. Scott Walker on Monday urged those involved to stop radio and television advertising on the issue and also implied they should refrain from making political contributions.

The governor also opened the door to hiring a consultant to sort though the various claims about the number of jobs that could be created by an off-reservation Kenosha casino owned by the Menominee tribe. The Menominee tribe made that suggestion last month, but the idea was immediately shot down at the time by the Walker administration.

On Monday, Walker said a consultant could be helpful because the Menominee and the Forest County Potawatomi — the chief opponent to the Kenosha casino plan — have thrown around various numbers about job gains and losses.

"What I've heard around the state is people really are interested in the potential jobs in the Kenosha area," Walker said Monday during a brief news conference at the Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center. "But I hear repeatedly as well, by the same token, that people believe there are some legitimate concerns about the potential loss" of jobs.

Walker, who has made and broken two self-imposed deadlines to decide the issue, said many people urged him to take his time in making the decision. The governor has sole authority over approving or denying the casino.

"Why rush to get to a yes or no? If you have the time to take longer, why don't you take it?" Walker said.

The Menominee tribe has said its proposed $800 million casino complex would create about 5,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Menominee casino would be developed and managed by Hard Rock International, which is owned by Florida's Seminole tribe.

The Forest County Potawatomi, which owns the state's largest casino, in Milwaukee, claims the new competitor would cost the Milwaukee area about 3,000 jobs.

Walker, who has repeatedly said he is looking for a win-win solution to the issue, reiterated that message Monday. Asked whether that meant he would ultimately approve the casino, since any other decision would be viewed as a loss to the Menominee, Walker said: "A win-win to me is ultimately something that involves a net increase of jobs in the state of Wisconsin."

Walker did not set a new deadline for deciding the issue, saying it may take several months for him to decide.

Job creation key to approval

The governor's comments came hours after his office said he was directing Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch to begin "extensive discussions with the tribal governments in an effort to maximize job creation in our state" — the latest sign that he is open to the idea of the Kenosha casino.

Walker's delays in making a decision are generally seen as positive for the Menominee tribe, which has been engaged in a bitter battle with the Potawatomi over the casino project. The Potawatomi — who are trying to protect their lucrative Milwaukee casino from competition — have been pushing for a fast decision. The Menominee, on the other hand, see each day that passes without the governor making a decision as a victory.

Walker said he initially gave the Menominee 60 days to make their case to him to avoid delays. "We tend to prolong things until right before deadline," Walker said.

Sources said that until recent days the governor had been leaning toward rejecting the casino — a decision that would have enamored him with the Potawatomi. The casino-rich Potawatomi have spent millions of dollars since the 1990s fighting the proposal.

But in recent days, he has been more open to the casino proposal, particularly because of the Menominee's jobs claims — claims the Potawatomi say are exaggerated.

"The last two weeks have been a big positive for the Menominee," said a source with ties to the administration.

Walker addressed several casino-related questions Monday. During his news conference, the governor:

â–  Fell short of saying he would not accept campaign contributions from those involved in the casino controversy while the matter remained an open issue.

"I would be inclined to say no," to contributions, Walker said when asked whether he would accept campaign cash from players in the controversy while the casino question is pending. "It doesn't make any sense for them to be involved politically."

While Walker has not seen a big influx of cash to his campaign war chest, tribal money has flowed to other political groups close to Walker. The Potawatomi have given $150,900 to the Republican Governors Association since July 2011. Their most recent contribution came in February when they gave the GOP group $50,000. The tribe also scored points with Walker when it helped sponsor the National Governors Association conference in Milwaukee this year.

â–  Encouraged those on both sides of the issue to stop advertisements urging him to bless or kill the casino proposal. "They really aren't helpful," Walker said.

■ Noted that even if he approved the casino, doing so is not a simple process because some tribes — including the Potawatomi and the Ho-Chunk — have clauses in their gaming compacts that could require them to be made whole if a new competitor opens a casino. The question of how to reimburse the tribes could end up before an arbitrator.

The Potawatomi claim they would lose about 40% of their revenue to a Kenosha casino, which would tap the Chicagoland market for customers. The Ho-Chunk say they would lose about $20 million a year, although much of that would come from their Madison casino, which does not pay fees to the state because it has only slot machines and a poker room that uses computerized dealers.

The Ho-Chunk also oppose a Kenosha casino.

The Menominee and Hard Rock said they would cover any profit losses that other tribes could show result from the opening of a Kenosha casino.

â–  Held firm on his criteria for approving an off-reservation casino. The criteria include the demand that a new casino be approved by each of the state's 11 tribes and not result in any net new gaming in Wisconsin.

Both the Menominee and the Potawatomi issued statements Monday reacting to Walker's decision to have Huebsch meet with the tribes.

Menominee Chairman Craig Corn praised the governor's action.

"We thank Governor Walker for his willingness to take the time necessary to chart a clear path towards final approval of the Menominee Hard Rock Kenosha Casino," Corn said in a statement. "We are committed to working with him and Secretary Mike Huebsch to make the casino a reality."

The Potawatomi reiterated their view that the Menominee plan does not meet Walker's criteria for approval.

"Following his review, we expect that Governor Walker will find that this project does not meet his criteria and is not in the best interests of Wisconsin," Jeff Crawford, attorney general for the Potawatomi, said in a statement.

Patrick Marley, reporting from Madison, and Thomas Content, reporting from Glendale, contributed to this report.