Utahns dreaming of cashing in a winning Mega Millions lottery ticket need to run for the border

Salt Lake City, Utah — As Utah is one of only five states that don’t participate in Mega Millions, any Utahn dreaming of cashing in a winning Mega Millions lottery ticket must first head to the border to get their hands on one.

The projected jackpot for Tuesday’s drawing is expected to be the multi-state lottery’s third-highest ever, but those in Utah can only watch unless they drive a little way to take part in the fun.

But that doesn’t mean the potential golden ticket is too far away. Nearby Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona offer retail locations selling tickets just miles, sometimes yards, across the border from Utah.

Salt Lake City residents only need to hop in the car and drive a little less than two hours north to reach Franklin, Idaho to buy a ticket, or take Interstate 80 about 90 minutes east and lay your money down in Evanston, Wyoming.

Residents in east Utah can head over the border to multiple locations like Dove Creek, Dinosaur, and Rangely in Colorado. While people living in southwest Utah, like St. George, can get to a lottery ticket location in Littlefield, Arizona in just a half hour.