Millions On The Line As Alabamians Seek Lottery Luck In Mississippi

With potential payoffs soaring, Alabamians are driving across the state line to surrounding states to buy Powerball and Mega Millions Jackpot lottery tickets.  State line lottery ticket sellers report that many of the cars in convenience store parking lots have Alabama state tags. Mississippi is no exception.

Thanks to a steady stream of Alabamians crossing the state line in hopes of hitting a big jackpot, Columbus has 11 of the top 100 lottery ticket retailers in the state, according to the Mississippi Lottery Corporation. They have reported high revenues for Fiscal Year 2025 so far, partly fueled by a steady stream of non-resident customers.

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The flow of Alabamians to the Magnolia State is being upped by the big jackpots available this week.

Following the drawing Monday night, the Powerball jackpot rolled over to an estimated $815 million for the next drawing Wednesday night. It is the seventh-largest payout in Powerball history. The estimated cash payout is $367.9 million. The next Powerball drawing is tomorrow night at 9:39 pm CST.

Tomorrow night's Powerball drawing will be the 38th drawing since the jackpot was last won in California on May 31st.

Tonight's Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $253 million with an estimated cash value of $113.8 million. It is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. CST.

The last Mega Millions winner was recorded on June 27th when a Virginian won $348 million.

Powerball and Mega Millions tickets are $2 per play and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands - but not Alabama.

Despite repeated legislative and ballot measure attempts, lottery constitutional amendments have failed due to a combination of political, economic, and religious opposition.

Polls show a majority of Alabama residents favor a lottery, but most lottery initiatives die in the legislature. During this year's legislative session, a "trimmed down" gambling package failed to gain support in the Senate and was declared dead in April 2025.

The only legal gambling in the state operates through local constitutional amendments or on land owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

Opponents claim having a lottery in Alabama will lead to corruption in a state with a history of various corrupt practices. Proponents point to a gambling study group commissioned by Gov. Ivey that found illegal gambling operations in all 67 counties as evidence that the state is losing billions in annual gambling income.

Most lawmakers believe there will be no gambling or lottery legislation offered in January's Legislative regular session.