These US States Don't Have A Lottery. There's A Lot Of Border Crossing Going On

The states that don't play lottery at all. SOURCE: Mint

Live in the US and want to play Powerball? If you reside in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah - you're out of luck.

But it gets worse if you want to play other games too, because there's no state-run lottery in these places at all. 

Nevada residents cross the border to play the California games.

Of course the lack of locally sold lottery tickets isn't much of an obstacle for residents who are able to drive to a neighbouring state that has a lottery.

Terry RichIowa was also one of those, but according to Terry Rich, president of the Iowa Lottery Authority, people crossing the border to play elsewhere was a prime reason why his state adopted the lottery back in 1985.

"A lot of the folks in Utah are heading to Idaho [today]," he says, "and Nevada people are all heading to California."

The lottery is a booming business that the other 44 states have found impossible to resist.