Utah Representative Revives Effort to Legalize State Lottery

Utah. After an initial attempt in the previous legislative session, Birkeland is determined to bring the issue back to the forefront in 2025, with hopes that voters will decide on the matter in the 2026 general election.

“What I’m trying to do is just capture the existing behavior of people who will drive across the state line to buy those tickets,” said Rep. Birkeland, R-Mountain Green. She emphasized that Utahns spend approximately $200 million annually on lottery tickets outside the state, funds that could otherwise contribute to Utah’s economy and potentially lower taxes.

The proposed legislation also aims to legalize charity raffles, which, despite being technically illegal, are commonly held throughout the state. Birkeland’s previous proposal did not gain the necessary traction, facing opposition from Senate leadership, Governor Spencer Cox, and the influential Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which staunchly opposes all forms of gambling, including lotteries.

Limited Scope for Lottery Sales

This time, Birkeland’s proposal includes a compromise. Instead of legalizing the lottery statewide, the amendment would allow counties bordering states with legalized lotteries to sell lottery tickets. “What I’m proposing this year is that any county that borders a state with the lottery can open up and have the lottery in that county,” she explained. This means that while counties like Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, and Weber would not participate, counties adjacent to Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona could benefit from lottery sales. Nevada, despite bordering Utah, is excluded due to its prohibition of lotteries, even though it permits other forms of gambling.

Birkeland insists that her proposal is not about creating new gambling incentives but about preventing Utah residents from traveling out of state for lottery tickets. “There’s still those saying that this is, you know, really going to decay morally our state and to them I just hope that this compromise is showing we’re not again, changing behaviors, we’re just capturing those same behaviors within our state limits,” she told FOX 13 News.

Addressing Economic and Social Concerns

The push to legalize the lottery in Utah is also an economic issue. By keeping lottery expenditures within the state, Birkeland argues that Utah can harness significant funds that are currently benefiting neighboring states. This revenue could state programs and initiatives, providing a financial boost to rural communities near the state borders that may host lottery sales.

Governor Spencer Cox and other opponents argue that lotteries can lead to social issues and do more harm than good. However, Birkeland believes the public she has received, coupled with the potential economic benefits, warrants another attempt at ing the amendment. “It actually had a lot more public than I was expecting,” she noted.

The amendment’s introduction to the Utah State Legislature in 2025 marks the beginning of a renewed effort to address a contentious issue that has divided opinions for years. If successful, Utahns will have the opportunity to vote on the lottery legalization in the 2026 general election, potentially reshaping the state’s approach to gambling and its economic landscape.

Source:

Lawmaker to bring back proposed constitutional amendment legalizing lottery in Utah, FOX 13 News Utah, August 6, 2024.