Guide to Online Casinos in Alaska: The Best Alaska Casino Sites for 2024
By John Isaac,Editor at online-gambling.com
John Isaac
Editor at online-gambling.com
| Online Casinos | Legal Since: |
|---|---|
| Online Slots | TBD |
| Online Roulette | TBD |
| Online Blackjack | TBD |
| Live Casino | TBD |
Even though Alaska is one of the largest states by land-mass in the USA, it’s population is comparatively low due to its isolation and harsh weather conditions. This small population has resulted in an almost non-existent push to allow gambling in the state, and for this reason, both land-based casinos and online casinos are illegal in Alaska. Even the small number of tribal casinos across the state offer a very limited gaming experience. For this reason, we expect that Alaska online casinos will remain illegal for some time.
Regardless, we recommend you read on to discover more about Alaska’s history with gambling as well as some online gambling facts.
- We lean on reliable sources such as: Anchorage Daily News and the Capital City Weekly to gather information about the industry
- We aren’t just experts in sports betting, we have dedicated teams across the gambling industry including for casino games such as blackjack and have created an online roulette guide.
- To stay up to date, we follow closely the movements of the Alaska State Government and the Charitable Gaming Commission in Alaska.
Available Casino Games in Alaska
As mentioned above, online gambling is illegal in the state of Alaska. There are no plans to amend this announced, as well as to amend its ban against land-based casinos. The only form of online betting that Alaskans can partake in is Daily Fantasy Sports, which asks contestants to draft lineups of sports players and battle them head to head against other contestants for cash prizes, with points being scored based on the real-life statistics of each player. However, this activity is not strictly legal in the state – just tolerated. For more information on online casinos elsewhere in the USA, check out one of our other state pages.
Biggest State Land-Based Casinos
There are no traditional casinos in Alaska per se, but there are a number of gaming facilities in the state on tribal lands that have been authorized by the Federal National Gambling Commission. These facilities offer games like bingo and pull-tabs which are a scratch-card like game. These facilities include the Eagle River Casino and Bingo Hall, the Mic Bingo Hall and the Tudor Bingo Center. You can find all three at the addresses listed below.
- Eagle River Casino and Bingo Hall, 12130 Regency Dr, Eagle River, AK 99577, USA
- Mic Bingo Hall, Western Ave, Metlakatla, AK 99926, USA
- Tudor Bingo Center, 1436 E Tudor Rd, Anchorage, AK 99507, USA
History of Casino Gambling in Alaska
The state of Alaska is known by some as, ‘The Last Frontier,’ and by all indication, this could be the case for it as a gambling destination too. Over its history, the conversation around gambling has been kept fairly short and simple. The law is clear on its stance on illegal land-based and online casinos, and since the first laws regulating gambling were introduced, this position hasn’t changed. Below, we’ve created a timeline of the legal history of gambling in Alaska as well as some relevant historical gambling milestones across the nation. For more information on gambling in Alaska, visit our dedicated Alaska gambling page.
| Year | Event | |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | For the first time in the state’s history, gambling laws are written and the Department of Revenue becomes the designated enforcement body of gaming regulations. | |
| 1984 | Pull-tab games – a scratch-card like game that requires players scratch winning combinations – are legalized. Businesses and charities must apply for permits to sell them. | |
| 1993 | The Department of Revenue takes full control of third-party gambling operators across the state and raises the minimum tax from pull-tab games from 15% to 30%. The state also bans wheel, card and dice games before a tribal casino can be built in Klawock. | |
| 2003 | An effort is made to legalize a state lottery with much public support, but the state shoots it down. | |
| 2008 | A vote takes place to determine if Alaskans would want to legalize gambling. It is rejected, although the figures reveal that roughly 50,000 voters approved it against the roughly 90,000 for. |
Casino Gambling Age in Alaska
The gambling age laws in Alaska stipulate that players must be over 19 years old to play bingo at bingo halls, while they must be 21 years old to play pull-tabs. If a player is caught gambling illegally, it is considered a Class B misdemeanor and is punishable with up to 90 days in prison and a fine of $2,000.
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Online Casino AgeIt is illegal for players to gamble in online casinos in Alaska.
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Alcohol AgeYou must be 21 years old to drink alcohol in Alaska.
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Weed AgeRecreational smoking of cannabis is still illegal in Alaska.
Responsible Gambling and Addiction Prevention
Are you worried that you or someone close to you may be battling with a gambling addiction? Thankfully, there are a few treatment options available in Alaska that can help prevent things from getting any more out of control. We recommend that you chat with one of the friendly professionals at the National Council on Problem Helpline through the link provided or by calling 1800 522 4700 for a confidential talk on how you can cope with your addiction. We also recommend tracking down a local Addiction Treatment Program to find the appropriate support for your needs.
Can I Play Without Deposit?
If online casinos are ever legalized in Alaska, or if you find yourself traveling to states where online casinos are legal, you may find yourself stumbling across casino websites that offer certain promotions to lure new gamblers in. One of these is deposit-free bonuses, which essentially gifts players a small amount of credit that they can gamble without having to make any cash deposit. This allows you the opportunity to try out different games on the website without having to invest and is a great sign that a casino is confident that its offerings are so good that you’ll want to put some of your own money in.
Upcoming Casino Regulation and Expected Changes
Since the 2008 referendum that questioned voters on whether or not they wanted to allow casino gambling in the state was shut down, there has been very little political action on pushing for both land-based and online casinos. Because many of the populated areas around Alaska are remote and struggle with poor internet connections, the prospect of building a thriving gambling industry let alone an online one may be hard for voters and lawmakers to believe in. For now, Alaska remains one of the least gambling-friendly states in the country, and the lack of conversation around progressing with gambling laws means that this probably won’t change anytime soon. In contrast to that, the Iowa casino climate is completely different thus allowing for this activity to be legal.
Casino Guides for Nearby States