Alaska Gambling Laws – Legal Games & Casinos
Knowing the basic Alaska gambling laws is important before you hit the gambling locations. We dedicated this article to the current gaming legislation and authorities monitoring gambling-related matters. Learn about the legal games and what casinos are open for players at legal age in the Land of the Midnight Sun.
If you are wondering is gambling legal in Alaska, then this article is the right one for you. You can find information about the gambling laws Alaska currently applies on the territory of the entire state and reservations. There is no point to hide that this article has no section dedicated to the online gambling Alaska because such a bill does not exist. Check below and see the main sections of our article, and don’t forget to read the answers to popular questions at the end.
Alaska’s Gambling Laws & History
History books and maps can teach us that the Alaska State was bought from the Russian Empire in 1867 and is the largest USA state by area. But to know the spirit of this frozen land, one has to read Jack London’s stories or watch movies like Togo (2019) or Gold Rush (1925).
This is the moment to say that there is more than gold, oil, and dog sleigh competitions in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Read on to learn what entertainments are legal under the Alaska gambling law.
Gambling in Alaska Through Time
There were no Alaska gaming regulations for a very long time, and people were free to wager money and gold nuggets anywhere they liked and bet on anything. In the past, the danger of being robbed, shot, or cheated on gambling was real, and the issues were resolved with fighting and shooting. It was not as wild as Dodge City, but sometimes some players caused trouble.
This situation continued long after the territory became part of the USA. Eventually, the local authorities decided to put all gambling affairs into order. Legalizing some games allowed players and the government to see how far gaming and gambling interest spreads. Here are the main changes in the gaming laws through the years, which can answer the question is gambling legal in Alaska:
- Bingo is legal since 1960
- Pull-tabs were legalized in 1984
- Charitable games like raffles, bingo, and other similar activities were legalized in 1993
- Cruise ships casinos became available to locals in 1995
- Three new games: Deep Freeze Classic, Sled Dog Race Classic, and Snow Machine Classic, gained legal status in 1996
Today, every gambling aspect and related topic is covered by the Alaska Code. There is no special Alaska gambling law because the gaming industry is not so popular or developed like in the states where the best casinos in USA can be found. Even so, the Alaska Code covers everything necessary for a legal gaming location to operate and players to play safely. In the table, you can find the main laws and regulatory organs of the state:
| ⚖️ Alaska Gambling Law | Alaska State Code (section 11.66.200) |
| 💸 Charitable Gambling | Alaska Gaming Reform Act of 2016 |
| 🦅 Tribal Casinos | Indian Gaming Regulatory Act |
| 🧐 Regulatory Organ | Department of Revenue’s Tax Division |
| 💰 Gambling Tax Collection | Alaskan Department of Revenue Tax Division |
| 😎 Winners’ Tax | 0% Winners Tax |
You may notice that there is no Alaska online gambling law. This is one of the many states that are yet to use the US gambling laws and create regulations for online gaming and wagering sites.
Until then, players can easily visit online casinos licensed by other states or even legit offshore gambling sites. Since there is no strict ban on online wagering and it is not considered a crime, players are safe from prosecution. Even so, it is strongly advisable to register at certified websites.
Legal Gambling Age in Alaska
According to the Alaska gambling laws, raffles, pull-tabs, and bingo games can be played by anyone over the age of 18. On the other hand, a player has to be 21 years old to play at a casino on land or online.
If you have read our article on the legal gambling age by state, you will know that those requirements are standard for most states.
Alaska Winners Tax & Casino Revenue
According to the gambling laws Alaska has, the greatest news for the players is that there is a 0% winners tax. That is right, gamblers in Alaska don’t pay taxes because the legal games are not part of the hardcore gambling games.
Unlike them, the operators are obligated to report to the Alaska Department of Revenue Tax Division and pay the required taxes.
Gambling Crimes in Alaska
According to the Alaska gaming regulations and the Code, the unlawful gambling is a violation, and it is considered an offense, a class A misdemeanor, or a class B misdemeanor.
It is illegal to play at or own an illegal gambling location or own a mobile device or a computer with gambling software.
That should not be a surprise because the online gambling laws tell us what is legal and what is not. For example, owning or playing at an illegal online casino or gambling software is a crime. Anyone caught breaking the law is punished accordingly and might face a fine, jail time, or both.
Alaska Gambling Laws & Responsible Authority
The Alaska gambling laws state that the gambling-related matters are left in the hands of the Alaska Department of Revenue Tax Division.
This is the authority that monitors the activity of the gambling locations and issues permits. Anyone interested in learning more about the work of the division, can visit the Department of Revenue Tax Division website.
The Department of Revenue is the place where operators can find information about the process of acquiring a gambling license. The municipalities and other organizations can easily obtain a permit to conduct charitable games of chance. To qualify for a permit, the organization should be “not for profit”, be founded more than 3 years prior to the application, and consist of at least 25 members.
The Alaska gambling law is clear about the process, which begins with the operator acquiring the necessary documents for the application from the website or the specified offices. The applying organization has a “member in charge” who oversees the licensing procedure and reports to the Department of Revenue. This person is also responsible for the games and the proper distribution of the money.
Once the prizes and awards are given to the contestants in the game, the rest of the funds are donated to charity or the cause, which is the reason for the event. The “member in charge” is responsible for that too and has to report everything to the Department of Revenue.
Casinos in the Land of the Midnight Sun
The only legal gambling locations in Alaska are the tribal casinos in reservations. Those may not be the top Native American casinos, but each location has charm and unique vibe. Alongside them, players can try the online gambling sites or the cruise ships casinos visiting Alaska. Here is more information:
Over 10 Class II gaming locations have bingo and pull-tab games. Players can visit the Klawock Bingo, Metlakatla Bingo Hall, Organized Village of Kake Bingo, Sitka Tribal Bingo, Sun’aq Tribal Bingo, Tlingit, and Haida Community Bingo, and more. Unfortunately, there are no Class III casinos (with slots and table games) because the Indian reservations in Alaska don’t match the legal definition of “Indian lands” with independent taxation.
Online casinos, poker, betting, and the rest of the gambling games are not regulated by the gambling laws in Alaska. This means that players can enjoy any licensed in the USA site or a certified offshore casino without being prosecuted.
Even though the cruise ships are active only during the summer months, they are a way to have a genuine casino experience. Many Alaskan players sign up for a cruise just to hit the casino tables once the ship enters international waters. This gambling entertainment may be limited in time, but players have full access to slots and various table games.
The lack of gambling opportunities may seem dire, but things are not so bad. The lack of online gambling Alaska laws is a plus because players are free to choose any of the licensed sites. If playing on a cruise ship is not an option, the alternative is just 50 miles away – the Chances Casino in British Colombia, Canada. The gambling laws in Canada allow slot machines, video poker games, roulette, dice, poker, blackjack, and a line of other gambling games.
Alaska Gambling Law & Legal Games
Anyone who sees Alaska’s landscape covered by thick snow may think that there is not much entertainment here. The truth is that the Land of the Midnight Sun offers an abundance of games and entertainment, which can’t be found even at the best online casinos in the USA for 2024. Here are the legal and illegal games in Alaska:
The legal games available to all Alaskans and visitors of the state are pull-tabs, bingo, daily fantasy sports, raffles, and everything else that can be qualified as skill games. All of them are legal online and at land-based locations when operated by licensed organizations.
Every social game and competition is legal when parts of the prize go for charity. Excellent examples of popular Alaska entertainments are dog musher races, fishing, hunting, trekking, and other contests of skill. Carnival games and social poker games are also legal.
As we mentioned before, Alaska’s gambling law forbids casino games, sports betting, and wagering on some animal races. This means that the illegal games list includes lottery, slots, table games. There is also no wagering on horse or greyhound races or sports betting.
It may seem strange that the Alaska gambling laws forbid greyhound races, but allow dog musher competitions. The difference comes from the centuries-long tradition where the dog sleds were the main transport. The races between mushers and locals were occasional entertainments, which showed the fastest dogs. On the other hand, the greyhounds are bred with the single purpose for racing, and sometimes their breeders and trainers use cruel measures to make them run faster.
Responsible Gambling in Alaska
The online gambling Alaska has is not regulated by laws, so accessing online casinos may potentially lead to problem gambling. So far, gambling addiction is not as serious problem for the locals as it is for players from other states. Gamblers can use the state’s hotline, self-exclusion tools, contact the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Gamblers Anonymous, and other organizations.
Alaska Gambling Laws Popular Questions
Our article introduced the Alaska gambling laws, and now, it is time to answer the most important questions. Each answer below has a link to the relevant section of the article, where you can find more information on the matter.
