Betting and Alaska do not go together at all. The state offers virtually nothing when it comes to gaming; there are no casinos in Alaska as casino betting is illegal, no poker rooms, no horse racing venues as horse race betting is also illegal, and not even a state lottery. A couple of bingo rooms, pull-tab cards and oddball charity wagers are the closest Alaska residents will get to live betting action.

Online betting is the only alternative that Alaskans are left with. Fortunately, there are no laws specifically forbidding online wagering. The state does not condone online betting, but it also doesn't enforce laws against it either, leaving the door open for some gambling reprieve for its residents.

Top Betting Sites for Alaska

Gaming Laws in Alaska

Section 11.66.270 in the Alaska Statutes defined “gambling” as when a “person stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under the person's control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that that person or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome”. The law also states that “a person commits the offense of gambling if the person engages in unlawful gambling”, with unlawful being defined as “not specifically authorized by law”.

This roundabout of definitions seems to indicate that any wager made in the state of Alaska is an unlawful one, though there is an exception made for social games. Gambling “in a home where no house player, house bank, or house odds exist” and the house is not making money is legal in Alaska.

Fortunately for residents of Alaska, the law against gambling isn't one that has been known to be enforced against bettors. And in fact, the law even states that gambling is a violation for the first offense and class B misdemeanor for the second and each subsequent offense. So on the off chance that you are caught, you essentially get off with a warning the first time.

Sports Betting in Alaska

Under the definition of gambling in the state of Alaska, sports betting remains illegal. There are no forms of state regulated sports betting available in Alaska either online or offline. Alaska has made no changes since being offered the option of prohibiting or legalizing sports gambling in 2018. Being caught gambling can legally result in a violation the first time around and more severe penalties in future instances. The law isn't as lenient when it comes to bookmakers. Falling under the branch of promoting gambling in the first degree, bookmaking carries with it a Class C felony.

Online Betting

Betting with an offshore sportsbook seems to be the best option for sports bettors that live in the state of Alaska. There have been no reported instances of the state arresting anyone or charging anyone with a crime involving betting on sports online. While Alaska has not regulated any form of online betting and is unlikely to do so anytime soon, there are no specific laws in the Alaska Statutes prohibiting online gambling.

Offshore sportsbooks do not have to follow United States federal laws or Alaska state laws because they are located in other countries. Most of these sportsbooks will accept Alaska residents as Alaska has shown no resistance to online gambling up to this point. In fact, bettors can in some ways feel safer in Alaska than in other states given the laws making it legal to bet in your own home and the warning that comes with a first offense.

Poker and Casino in Alaska

Tribes in Alaska would love to own and operate casinos on their land, but a loophole in the definition of the lands in this state allow Alaska to ban its tribes from doing so. Native American tribes in Alaska have fought for the right to open casinos, but haven't been able to make up any legal ground.

As a result, Native American tribes are limited to offering low-stakes bingo events and pull-tab cards on their lands. There are no casinos or poker rooms anywhere in Alaska.

Online Poker

Once again, the only recourse for poker players in the state of Alaska is to go online and play at offshore poker rooms. These poker rooms do not fall under Alaska's jurisdiction and will usually accept business from residents of Alaska.

Poker players can legally play in house games in Alaska as long as the house isn't making any money, but these types of games are limited in what they can offer the player. No poker player in the state of Alaska has been charged with a crime for playing online poker to date, and the laws in Alaska make no specific mention of poker or online gambling.

Other Gaming Options in Alaska

Gaming options are few and far between in the state of Alaska. In fact, Alaska is one of only six states in the country that doesn't have a state-run lottery, and therefore does not partake in popular country-wide games such as Mega Millions and the Powerball.

Charity Gaming Laws

Alaska's Charitable Gambling Provisions offer some random and unique betting opportunities for residents of the state. Included in the specific list of things that bettors can wager on are when the first sandhill crane will land at a particular place and how many cases of canned salmon will be packed at the Petersburg canneries over a set time.

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