Wisconsin

WI voters want a say on issue of online sports betting | Opinion

Published

3 weeks ago

February 15, 2026

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WI voters want a say on issue of online sports betting | Opinion

Wisconsin cannot gamble with sports betting. As former attorney general, I join the people of Wisconsin who have real concerns about the constitutionality of this plan.

JB Van Hollen
| Special to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

As the Assembly and Senate get ready to adjourn session in Madison for 2026, state legislative leaders are working behind closed doors on a deal to legalize online sports betting and give the Indigenous tribes exclusive control.

New polling shows Wisconsinites are skeptical of the Legislature’s current plan, and for good reason. While voters aren’t uniformly opposed to online sports wagering, they strongly oppose a framework that grants exclusive control to tribal nations, limits competition, and bypasses direct voter approval. Sixty percent of likely voters oppose giving tribes a monopoly, and 86 percent believe a decision of this magnitude should be decided by the people through a constitutional amendment or referendum. (Note: Polling figures cited are from The Tarrance Group.)

The legislation under consideration would create an unfair monopoly on online sports betting in Wisconsin. Rather than allowing well-known operators like FanDuel or DraftKings to compete in an open marketplace, the state would grant Native American tribes exclusive control as a way to try to circumvent the constitution. This approach stifles competition, limits consumer choice, and allows the monopoly holder to operate without meaningful oversight, a setup that is neither fair nor economically responsible.

Wisconsin stands to lose money on this

Beyond the monopoly problem, the current bills bypass the benefits free-market online sports betting can bring to states. In other states, competitive frameworks have strengthened local economies and generated tens of millions in revenue. Instead, Wisconsin could lose an estimated $400 million over the next five years because the legislation attempts to skirt our constitutional limits rather than address them directly.

Most importantly, as the former Attorney General of Wisconsin, I join the people of Wisconsin who have real concerns about the constitutionality of this plan. Legislators should never endorse or attempt to undermine Wisconsin’s Constitution, the foundation of our state. Article IV, Section 24 of the Wisconsin Constitution broadly prohibits the Legislature from authorizing gambling outside specific, voter-approved exceptions. The people of Wisconsin have repeatedly reaffirmed this principle through amendments over decades, making clear decisions of this magnitude rest with the voters, not the Legislature or the governor.

Wisconsin has seen the consequences of concentrated authority before. In the 1990s and 2000s, the state granted Democratic governor Jim Doyle broad authority to reopen and amend tribal gaming compacts. These decisions ultimately created perpetual privileges for tribes and limited the state’s ability to regulate gaming in line with constitutional and public interests. Later court rulings upheld some expansions despite weak legal grounds, leaving Wisconsin with a system that prioritizes a single party’s contractual interests over the people’s sovereign will.

Legislators seem ready to repeat mistakes

Today, legislators appear ready to repeat that mistake by relying on unsettled legal comparisons, such as Florida’s compact litigation, to justify extending tribal betting privileges statewide. But Florida’s situation is not Wisconsin’s. Using it as cover to bypass our own constitutional limits is legislative overreach, plain and simple.

The push to legalize online sports betting nationally has grown, but the stakes in Wisconsin are too high to get this wrong. The numbers don’t lie, the voters want a say in this matter. This backroom deal being dealt in Madison is bad news. The first rule of gambling is remembering the house always wins. In this case, the “house” should be the people of Wisconsin, and the state must ensure it remains in control of its own policy.

JB Van Hollen is the former Attorney General of Wisconsin.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin safety Austin Brown shows out freakish skills on Pro Day

Published

11 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin safety Austin Brown shows out freakish skills on Pro Day

MADISON – Luke Fickell has long been a fan of Austin Brown’s potential.

The Wisconsin football coach sung the praises of the senior safety before last season and reiterated that opinion after an 11-tackle performance in a Week 3 loss to Alabama.

“He’s one of the more talented guys I think we have on the entire team,” Fickell said in September. “As far as speed, size, ability to run, ability to tackle, he’s one of those guys that I’ve always kept saying, your ability is everything that they’re looking for at the next level. Your ability to show that is what’s going to be the biggest difference.”

Brown was one of the iron men of the Wisconsin defense in 2025. He played 672 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, second only to cornerback Ricardo Hallman. His presence was especially key given the season-ended injury to field safety Preston Zachman

Brown finished fourth on the Badgers with 53 tackles and earned an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl. He started for the West in the Shrine Bowl, played 32 snaps and finished with one tackle in a 21-17 victory for over the East.

Friday March 6 at the McClain Center the Badgers held their Pro Day, a perfect time to shine for a player who was listed as one of athletic freaks in college football by The Athletic last summer.

Brown didn’t disappoint.

Unofficially Brown posted the No. 1 vertical of the day, 43 feet, the No. 2 broad jump (10-9), the second fastest 40-yard dash (4.47 seconds), the third-fastest shuttle run (4.21) and the fifth-best three cone drill time (7.05).

He also benched 225 pounds 20 times, which put himself behind some of UW’s linemen and tight end Lance Mason – Ben Barten did it 33 times – but it was better than any safeties or cornerback invited to the NFL Combine.

Brown has been training at X3 Performance in Fort Myers, Fla.

“I’m not satisfied by any means, but I’m happy with my overall performance,” Brown said. “On my vertical I did really good. I wanted to get another inch or two, but you can only get so much. On my bench, I wanted to get 20, and I lost some weight, so I didn’t want to lose any strength with that.”

Brown, who is 6-foot-1, played at about 215 pounds last season. He said he weighed 209 when he started training for the draft and was at 200 pounds with 8% body fat Friday.

“I had a lot of meetings with scouts just through the postseason stuff, Shrine Bowl and all that so I got to talk to a lot of them personally,” Brown said. “(Today) I just wanted to show them my athletic ability across the board overall, and I feel like I did that.”

What Brown showed during his college career was the ability to fill a variety of roles. It is the kind of the experience that could pay off for an NFL hopeful.

“I feel like versatility is one of my best strengths,” he said. “I’ve played both safety spots. I’ve played dime, I’ve played nickel when I started my junior year. I’ve played every special team, so I feel like versatility is one of my great strengths and that’s something I can hang my hat on.”

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Wisconsin

Ex-Wisconsin fullback Alec Ingold cut by Miami Dolphins

Published

23 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Ex-Wisconsin fullback Alec Ingold cut by Miami Dolphins

Alec Ingold, a Pro Bowl fullback for the Miami Dolphins, former Badger and graduate of Bay Port High School in the Green Bay area, is reportedly on the market.

NFL insider Mike Garafolo said Ingold and Miami are parting ways, and he’s free to sign with a new team immediately.

Ingold spent the last four seasons with the Dolphins, including a Pro Bowl year in 2023, after three years with the Las Vegas Raiders. He’s primarily a blocking back but does have 75 career receptions and six all-purpose touchdowns in his career.

Ingold is also a three-time nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. His Ingold Family Foundation advocates and financially supports children in the child welfare system, providing education, support and access to opportunities. He has authored a book, developed curriculum around overcoming adversity and works with SOS Children’s Villages Florida, a residential foster care community in Florida.

At the University of Wisconsin, Ingold moved from linebacker to running back as a freshman in 2015 and played in 51 career games, with 11 starts at fullback. He ran for 17 career touchdowns at Wisconsin from 2015 through 2018 and caught four touchdown passes.

Ingold was at the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, announcing a Dolphins pick on Day 2.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for March 5, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for March 5, 2026

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 5 drawing

Midday: 7-1-9

Evening: 1-4-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 5 drawing

Midday: 0-5-6-8

Evening: 0-6-8-8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from March 5 drawing

Midday: 04-06-07-10-12-13-14-18-20-21-22

Evening: 03-05-07-10-12-13-15-18-20-21-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from March 5 drawing

06-07-16-23-28

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from March 5 drawing

07-16-19-28-31-36, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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