Wisconsin

Wisconsin lawmakers look to join the ranks of states allowing online sports betting

Published

3 months ago

March 19, 2026

Wisconsin lawmakers look to join the ranks of states allowing online sports betting

MADISON (AP) — As sports fans wager billions of dollars on the NCAA basketball tournaments, Wisconsin lawmakers are taking a shot at an expanded sports betting plan that could bank big bucks for the state in the future.

A measure given final approval Tuesday would let the state’s tribal gambling sites start offering online sports betting to people anywhere in Wisconsin. But the bill is contingent on the signature of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, which is no sure bet. And it wouldn’t take effect until after the state negotiates new deals with American Indian tribes who would run the sports betting — long after the current basketball tournaments wrap up.

Here’s how Wisconsin and other states are approaching sports betting:

Sports betting is booming in states

Legal sports betting has spread from one state — Nevada — to 39 states and Washington, D.C., since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door in 2018. If Evers signs off on the expansion, Wisconsin would become the 32nd state to allow online sports wagering, which is how most people place bets.

Across the U.S., state-regulated sportsbooks handled nearly $167 billion of bets last year, generating revenues of nearly $17 billion after winnings were paid out to customers, according to the American Gaming Association. That marked an almost 23% increase over the previous year.

Gambling in Wisconsin goes through tribes

Gambling is legal in Wisconsin only on tribal lands under exclusive contracts between tribes and the state. Sports bets currently can be placed only at certain tribal casinos, and online sports betting is illegal.

Under the Wisconsin tribal compacts, a percentage of the money tribes earn through that gambling is returned to the state. In 2024, the tribes paid the state just over $66 million from revenue generated at casinos.

Wisconsin proposes to follow the Florida model

Under the Wisconsin legislation, online sports betting would be allowed only if the infrastructure to manage the bets, such as computer servers, is located on tribal lands in the state. That approach, known as the “hub-and-spoke” model, already is used in Florida.

Supporters of the measure include several Wisconsin tribes and the Milwaukee Brewers. They contend people currently are placing bets using offshore sportsbooks or prediction markets or crossing into other states where it’s legal, including neighboring Illinois.

Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he opposes online gambling, but people are already doing it and “I would rather make sure that Wisconsinites have some sort of control over that.”

The legislation has drawn opposition from the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents FanDuel, DraftKings, bet365, BetMGM and Fanatics. They argue it wouldn’t make financial sense for them to partner with Wisconsin tribes, because federal law requires 60% of gambling revenues must go back to the tribes. They would prefer a state constitutional amendment opening sports betting to all operators.

“It is simply not economically feasible for a commercial operator to hand over 60% or more of its revenue to an in-state gaming entity, just for the right to operate in the state,” Sports Betting Alliance representative Damon Stewart said in submitted testimony opposing the bill.

Governor’s support is unclear

Wisconsin’s measure has divided Republicans since it was introduced last year. It took 12 Democrats joining with nine Republicans to pass the bill in the Senate. The Assembly, also controlled by Republicans, passed it on a voice vote without debate last month.

It now heads to Evers, who initially said he would sign it as long as it was passed in consultation with — and the support of — the state’s tribes. Evers has since raised concerns, noting last month that not all of the state’s 11 tribes are registered as in support. Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Revenues from sports bets can take a while to start flowing

If Evers signs the legislation, Wisconsin residents may still have to wait to place bets through smartphones and computers. It often takes months to launch new sports betting programs.

North Carolina’s governor signed legislation in June 2023 to expand sports betting from three tribal casinos to online platforms. But online betting did not begin until March 2024.

Missouri voters narrowly approved sports wagering in November 2024. But it didn’t launch until last December. And the state has yet to reap a big windfall. Through the first two months, Missouri sportsbooks handled $928 million of bets, but that resulted in just $659,000 in state taxes.

Some states look to squeeze more out of sports bets

Since adopting sports betting, some states already have revamped their laws to try to take a bigger share of the money. Taxes have been raised or restructured in Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. And Colorado and Virginia have pared back the tax deductions they originally allowed.

Illinois has taken multiple bites, most recently adding fees of 25-50 cents on every sports bet that gets placed. And Chicago began charging an additional 10.25% tax on sports betting revenues on Jan. 1.

Louisiana raised is sports betting taxes last year to help fund college athletics. The new law directs one-quarter of the tax revenue from online sports wagering to be split among public universities with Division I football programs and be used “for the benefit of student athletes.”

Collegiate prop bets face push back

Sports betting often involves more than just guessing which team will win. Some of the most popular bets focus on player performance, like how many points a particular athlete will score. Those proposition bets also have been at the center of recent scandals, with players alleged to have rigged their performance.

The NCAA in 2023 began encouraging states to adopt restrictions on bets involving college athletes. Since then, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio and Vermont have joined the ranks of states banning individual prop bets on college athletes.

More than a dozen states place no limits on collegiate prop bets while nearly an equal number prohibit all such bets. Other states fall somewhere in between, including some that allow prop bets on collegiate athletes only for games that don’t involve their home-state schools.

___

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.

Source link

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Democrats make udder mistake with National Dairy Month post

Published

47 minutes ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin Democrats make udder mistake with National Dairy Month post

Wisconsin Republicans had a field day when the state Democratic Party celebrated the start of National Dairy Month with a post featuring male cattle that don’t produce milk.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin initially posted a “Happy Dairy Month” graphic on Facebook, Instagram and X showing two brown and white cattle with horns and no visible udders.

The party later posted a corrected version, featuring two black-and-white spotted Holstein cows. T-bone steaks with halos and wings floated above them – presumably, where the male cattle had gone.

“We regret that our Dairy Month tweet contained an error. We have ‘taken care’ of the issue, if you catch our drift,” the party wrote June 1.

Side note: Many dairy cattle, including females, naturally have horns. In most cases, they’re removed to prevent injuries to farmers and cattle themselves. But udders are visible only on female cattle, a.k.a. cows.

Tom Tiffany, the leading Republican candidate for governor, jumped on the mistake, posting a video touting his experience growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm.

Tiffany and other Republicans also criticized Democrats for celebrating the start of Pride Month, which recognizes LGBTQ+ communities and begins June 1 alongside National Dairy Month.

“I regret to inform [Wisconsin Democrats] that you cannot milk a bull. But considering they think men can get pregnant, I guess thinking you can milk a bull tracks too,” Tiffany wrote on X.

Tiffany also said June 1 that, if elected governor, he would no longer fly the Pride flag over the state Capitol in June – a practice started by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in 2019.

Evers also celebrated June Dairy Month with a video message, in part criticizing President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and cuts to federal programs supporting farmers.

Wisconsin is home to about 5,000 dairy farms – more than any other state – and has about 1.27 million cows. National Dairy Month originally started in 1937 as National Milk Month.

Hope Karnopp can be reached at HKarnopp@usatodayco.com.

Source link

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for June 1, 2026

Published

11 hours ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for June 1, 2026

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

Here’s a look at June 1, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from June 1 drawing

02-42-47-57-58, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 1 drawing

Midday: 3-8-8

Evening: 0-9-5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 1 drawing

Midday: 6-2-9-1

Evening: 3-2-0-6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from June 1 drawing

Midday: 01-02-03-04-06-09-10-14-19-21-22

Evening: 03-05-08-10-12-13-14-15-17-18-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from June 1 drawing

02-18-23-24-26

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from June 1 drawing

07-08-11-15-17-33, 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.

Source link

Wisconsin

Is Wisconsin violating the rights of disabled voters? Court hears arguments

Published

21 hours ago

June 1, 2026

Press Room

Is Wisconsin violating the rights of disabled voters? Court hears arguments

A Dane County judge heard arguments Monday in a lawsuit that seeks to make electronic absentee ballots available to Wisconsinites with disabilities.

Disability Rights Wisconsin joined the League of Women Voters in suing the Wisconsin Elections Commission two years ago. Those groups argued that voters with disabilities should be allowed to receive, fill out and return an absentee ballot electronically.

Currently, some disabled Wisconsinites have to rely on help from someone else when filling out a paper absentee ballot. People with print disabilities have difficulty reading print because of issues including visual, cognitive or developmental disabilities.

Understanding Wisconsin, Together.

WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.

That violates the right to a secret ballot as guaranteed by the Wisconsin Constitution, attorney Jared Grubow argued on behalf of the plaintiffs.

“The print disabled voters of Wisconsin cannot vote on the same terms as all other Wisconsinites,” Grubow said during a hearing Monday before Judge Everett Mitchell. “That is discrimination.”

In June 2024, Mitchell issued a temporary order in the case, which would have required Wisconsin to send ballots over email to voters with print disabilities ahead of the November 2024 election. That ruling would not have allowed voters to return completed ballots electronically. Instead, they would need to be turned in via mail or at a clerk’s office.

Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Legislature appealed the lower court order, however, an appeals court halted Mitchell’s earlier ruling.

Attorneys for the people suing pointed to the Americans with Disabilities Act and argued that Wisconsin is required to provide electronic absentee voting options as a “reasonable accommodation,” for people who rely on screen readers and other devices.

But Assistant Wisconsin Attorney General Karla Keckhaver argued that voters with print disabilities already have sufficient options, because they can either vote in person using electronic machines or they can fill out a ballot at home with the help of a caregiver or assistant.

“The ADA says nothing about privacy and independence in voting, and it doesn’t give voters with disabilities the right to vote without an assistant,” she said.

She also argued that electronic ballots would pose cyber-security issues and put “undue financial and administrative burdens” on Wisconsin’s elections officials.

“Wisconsin’s absentee voting program is a paper-based system, and that’s not an empty procedural requirement — it’s fundamental to the security of the program,” she said. “Internet voting is not an existing service that Wisconsin already provides to others.”

There are roughly 110,000 eligible Wisconsin voters with print disabilities, who may be affected by a ruling in the case, Grubow said.

One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Donald Natzke, is blind, and unable to read or mark a paper absentee ballot on his own. He can’t rely on his wife for help because she is blind as well.

That problem would be solved if Natzke had access to an electronic absentee ballot, since he would be able to use a speech synthesizer and other accessibility devices to read that ballot and fill it out in the privacy of his own home, the lawsuit argues.

In theory, Natzke could go to a polling place or early in-person voting location to fill out a ballot using an electronic voting machine. But Grubow said that option is “extremely difficult” in practice.

“Any amount of poor weather, be it wind, rain, ice or snow, makes getting to the polling place very dangerous for Mr. Natzke,” Grubow said Monday.

Currently, Wisconsinites may return absentee ballots via mail or by dropping them off at their local clerk’s office. In some communities, ballot drop boxes are also available for returning those ballots. Additionally, Wisconsinites can fill out out absentee ballots in-person at early voting locations.

But, based on a declaration filed by Wisconsin’s elections administrator, Wisconsin clerks are “encouraged” but not “required” to make sure that accessible voting equipment is available at early voting locations, Grubow said.

“(If) there is no accessible voting machine, they’re going to face the same issues,” Grubow said. “Which is why often a lot of these voters are deterred from doing that and prefer to vote absentee at home.”

During Monday’s hearing, attorneys for both sides said they believed the matter can be resolved without a trial. Earlier this year, lawyers representing the state of Wisconsin filed a motion asking for summary judgement.

Source link