NIPTON, Calif. (AP) — As if the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot weren't inconvenient enough, people who live in the six states that don't participate have to put in considerable extra effort if they want a ticket.
In Nevada, they have to drive across the desert and wait in lines that can stretch for hours. In Hawaii and Alaska, they need to cross an ocean or mountains to reach a lottery kiosk.
None of the six states has a lottery of any kind.
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Religious beliefs have posed a barrier in Alabama, Mississippi and Utah. Alaska has been more concerned that a lottery wouldn't pay off in such a sparsely populated state.
The idea always fails in Hawaii. And in Nevada, the state's casinos have no interest in the competition.