| In 1964, New Hampshire unveiled a statewide lottery, which remains the oldest legal lottery in the U.S. While 44 additional states have since debuted lottos of their own, there are still five states where playing the lottery is illegal: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. For Alabama and Utah, the anti-lottery stance has religious roots, as some influential church leaders believe gambling to be sinful behavior. Back in 1998, incoming Alabama Governor Don Siegelman voiced his support for a statewide lotto to help raise funds for education — but that idea was struck down by voters in a 1999 referendum, an outcome that is largely attributed to vocal opposition from church groups. In Utah, an estimated 42% of the population is Mormon, a religious ideology opposed to gambling. Due to these demographics, the pro-lottery movement in Utah has made little progress. According to an article from Alaska's News Source, Alaskan lawmakers worry instituting a lottery would "have some negative impact on current state-regulated charitable gaming activities," which help support many local nonprofits. As for Hawaii, there are concerns that the lottery may disproportionately affect poor communities and encourage addiction, which is why it's still illegal despite widespread public support. Then there's Nevada, which instituted a ban on selling lottery tickets when its state constitution was written back in 1864. That provision is still in place today and is likely to stay due to the Silver State's powerful casino lobby, which considers the state lottery competition and opposes any efforts to make it legal. | 
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