Utah lawmaker to reintroduce constitutional amendment plan to legalize state lottery

Utah Representative Kera Birkeland plans to reintroduce legislation for a constitutional amendment that would bring lottery gaming to the Beehive State, giving residents the chance to vote on whether to legalize a state lottery.

Birkeland, a Republican from Mountain Green, has confirmed that she will propose the amendment in the 2025 Utah State Legislature. If the measure passes, it will be placed on the 2026 general election ballot for voters to decide.

The lawmaker’s proposal aims to address the existing issue of Utahns who frequently cross state lines to purchase lottery tickets. "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," Birkeland told FOX 13 News. 

She estimates that Utahns spend at least $200 million annually on lottery tickets in neighboring states — a significant sum that could be kept within Utah’s borders to potentially lower taxes and support local communities.

Birkeland’s legislation also includes a provision to legalize charity raffles, which are technically illegal in Utah but commonly held. However, the path to legalizing the lottery in Utah faces significant challenges. 

Last year, when Birkeland first proposed the idea, it failed to gain traction in the state legislature. While House leadership showed some support, Senate leaders and Governor Spencer Cox expressed concerns. Additionally, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a powerful influence in Utah politics, has consistently opposed gambling, including lotteries.

Despite these obstacles, Birkeland remains optimistic, citing the strong public support she received after her initial proposal. "It actually had a lot more public support than I was expecting," she said.

The proposed amendment includes a compromise: only counties that border states with existing lotteries — such as Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico — would be permitted to sell lottery tickets.

This approach aims to limit the availability of lottery tickets to areas where residents are already likely to cross state lines to gamble, rather than introducing widespread access across Utah. It also means some of Utah's most populous counties like Salt Lake, Davis, Utah and Weber would not be allowed to sell lottery tickets.

This proposal, if successful, would mark a significant shift in Utah’s strict stance against gambling. Currently, Utah is one of only five states in the U.S. without a state lottery. The only neighbor state that still prohibits lotteries is Nevada, which allows other forms of legalized gambling.