Utah Lottery Online: The Best Online Lotto Sites for December
By Jessica Whitehouse,Editor at online-gambling.com
Jessica Whitehouse
Editor at online-gambling.com
| Lottery | Legal Since: |
|---|---|
| Cash4Life | Illegal |
| Mega Millions | Illegal |
| Powerball | Illegal |
Utah Lottery Online: The Best Online Lotto Sites for December Utah unfortunately has no state lottery or online lottery. The state has in fact prohibited all forms of gambling since 1927. This is mostly due to the heavy religious opposition in the state. There are some in the state who believe a state lottery would be of benefit, to help fund education and other state necessities but the ban is unlikely to be overturned. The state is surrounded by lottery playing states so residents can travel across borders to play.
There is currently no lottery or online lottery in Utah. There are only six states in the United States without a lottery and Utah is one. All forms of gambling have been illegal since 1927. Given the strong religious community in the state a lottery is very unlikely, in fact it is even written into state law in Utah, that even if gambling was passed as federal law, it would still be illegal in Utah. Residents of Utah can travel north to Idaho to play lottery. They can also travel west to Nevada to visit Casinos.
- We look to reliable local sources such as Desert News and the Salt Lake Tribune to keep up with the latest news updates in the industry.
- We don’t stop at State Lotteries. Our dedicated team has a wealth of invaluable gambling industry expertise, including for casino games like slots and have produced an online video poker guide.
- We are following all updates to gambling laws as and when they appear by monitoring The Utah Legislature and Find Law who stay on top of laws across the country.
Are There Legal Online Lotteries Available in Utah?
There is absolutely no lottery in Utah, in face all forms of gambling are prohibited within the state. Some casino style games can be played on Social Media, but this is highly recommended to be avoided as it is in breach of the state laws. Bingo halls are legal under very specific regulations, essentially players are able to pay for food and play bingo for free, this way no money is paid so fits into a grey area. The strong opposition to gambling, and lotteries, in the state, is mostly down to the highly religious background of Utah.
As there is no state sanctioned lottery, there is also no online lottery. This is extremely unlikely to change, there is currently no plans to propose legislation for the state and there is strong belief that if there were a proposition, it would fail. Residents can travel to Arizona, Colorado and Idaho if they wish to purchase lottery tickets. There is no law that prevents residents from playing out of state lotteries, but they need to purchase the tickets in the state and will need to collect the prize from that state. Casinos are available to the west in Nevada. It is estimated that 19% of lottery tickets in Idaho are purchased by Utah residents.
Cash4Life
Cash4Life is available in 9 states and you can purchase your tickets online or physically. It was launched in 2014 and it costs two dollars to participate. You have to pick 5 white and one green number. You can choose to get either $1000 per day for a lifetime or $7 million in cash. Only in Virginia, you can possibly play Cash4Life online.
Mega Millions
‘The Big Game’ was the first name of Mega Millions when it was created in 1996. Since then, the game changed and got outrageously popular. Currently, it is played in 44 states, the D.C. and the Virgin Islands. The minimum jackpot is $40 million while the biggest one was $1.537.000.000. The draws are twice a week and they happen every Tuesday and Friday.
US Powerball
This lottery was initially launched in 1992 in just one state. Later on it spread and now it is played in 21 jurisdictions in total. The draws happen twice a week and the minimum jackpot is $40,000,000. A curious fact is that in 2016, three players divided the humungous amount
Lottery Regulator in Utah
As there is no legal lottery in Utah yet, there is no regulator to speak of. In the future this does not look to change. If a lottery were ever to be introduced, it can be assumed that the state would follow suit of other states and establish a lottery commission to oversee the running.
History of Utah Lottery
In 1927 all forms of gambling was explicitly banned in the state of Utah. This has not changed. Due to heavy religious opposition it is very unlikely that there will be an amendment to the constitution.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1607 | The very first American colony is established in in Jamestown, Virginia. Gambling is brought to America with the colonies and spreads as a popular past time and source of revenue. Jamestown uses lotteries to finance their colony. Soon all 13 of the first colonies are using lotteries for income. |
| 1909 | While legal gambling has swept across the country, it is shortly outlawed across all the states. |
| 1927 | Although some states had started to slip some gambling back in around 1925, in 1927 Utah firmly banned all forms of games of chance. |
| 1940s | The majority of states begin to allow parimutuel betting on horses and charity gambling. |
| 1964 | New Hampshire runs the first draw of the first state sanctioned lottery. Many other states begin to follow suit. |
| 2010s | Some residents and even some politicians make comment that other states are benefitting from Utah residents purchasing tickets in Idaho and Wyoming. The same politicians also concede it is highly unlikely that any changes will take place and that the lottery will no doubt remain illegal in Utah. |
Famous Winners – Tracey Montgomery gets Lucky for Life
While there is no lottery available for Utah residents, this does not stop residents from crossing borders in order to purchase tickets. Lucky for Life game won $390,200 for Utah player in Idaho. Tracey has been playing the same numbers for a year and usually plays the Powerball, on this occasion none of her numbers matched and then she checked her Lucky for Life ticket and matched all the numbers except the Lucky Ball. Superstitiously she always plays the same numbers, the week after, four of her numbers came up and she won a further $200. Rather than take the annuity option of having a regular payout, Tracey decided to take the cash lump sum option. Well worth the trip to Malad to buy the ticket!
Online Lotto Legal Age in Utah
As the lottery is not legal at the moment in Utah, there is no minimum age associated with it. In most US states a person must be a minimum of 18 years old to legally purchase a lottery ticket. This is the case for neighboring states Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. In some US states, the legal age is set higher. In Nebraska, the age is 19, whereas Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana require players to be at least 21 years old. Underage lottery players stand to lose anything they might win, as they are playing illegally. Selling lottery tickets to minors is an offence too, that could land the offender jail time and a large fine. In certain states, lottery tickets can be given to minors as gifts.
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Lottery AgeThere is no legal lottery age in Utah as it is illegal.
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Alcohol AgeThe legal drinking age is 21 in Utah.
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Weed AgeNeither recreational nor medical marijuana are legal in Utah, so there is no legal smoking age.
Is Online Lotto Legal When You Are Out of the State?
Unfortunately, online lotto is available in only a few of the US states. Since 2011, the Federal Wire Act has given more freedom for online betting, but still, the states must craft the legislation all on their own, which can take a lot of time. We can recommend trying a Pennsylvania lottery website. However, keep in mind that some states restrict players from outside their territories.
The Best Lottery Mobile App
There are great apps that you can enjoy in the moment that online lottery becomes available in Utah. They work perfectly both on iOS and on Android and have minor differences compared to the regular look and features of the websites.
Online Lottery Promotions to Take Advantage Of
As the lottery hasn’t been brought to Utah just yet, there are no lottery promotions to take advantage of. That doesn’t mean you won’t want to be aware of them though! Online lottery promotions are a way of adding a little extra bonus to your lottery experience. It might be 2 tickets for the price of one, a match bonus on your winnings or even bonus points just for playing! Players in states that offer online lotteries can make good use of these bonus offers, so they’re definitely worth keeping an eye out for. Plus, you can take a look at our page dedicated to gambling in Utah too.
- 1.What’s the age limit?: Find out if you can play
- 2.Want to win big?: Keep your eyes peeled for the biggest jackpots!
- 3.Know what’s legal.: Find out if the lottery is legal in your home state.
Taxes on Lotto Winnings in Utah
Even though Utah doesn’t have its own lottery, residents regularly cross the borders to buy tickets in neighboring states Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona. Taxes will need to be paid and these differ depending on which state the ticket was purchased, as well as taxes in Utah. If the prize is over $5000 then federal income taxes will need to be paid as well, which is 24%. A lottery win for a Utah resident could be extremely costly but also, if a jackpot is won, extremely rewarding.
Upcoming Regulation Changes for Online Lottery
Utah has held firmly against state lotteries and all forms of gambling. There is little appetite for this to change and there is little movement from anyone trying to push it into play. The religious opposition to all forms of gambling is very strong and feel that a state lottery would not add anything to the state. If there is ever change in this we will be sure to keep you up to date.
Lottery Guides for Nearby States