Mississippi residents for years have been crossing into Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee to buy lottery tickets.
In 2018, lawmakers could debate whether Mississippi will join the large majority of states that offer games of chance.
Supporters say money being spent on lottery tickets elsewhere could, instead, be spent in Mississippi, creating revenue to help pay for highways or schools.
Opponents say lotteries are spiritually corrupting and the games create unrealistic hopes for people who struggle to pay their own living expenses.
Mississippi is one of six states without a lottery.
Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn of Clinton, who’s a leader in his Baptist church, opposes the lottery.
Gunn created a group that spent months studying the issue. It made no recommendations for or against creating a lottery in Mississippi. (AP)
