Guide to Gambling Age in Alaska: Sports Betting, Casinos & More

Alaska (AK) is the largest state in America in terms of land mass but has one of the lowest population’s due to the harsh and extreme nature of the state’s climate. This sparse population doesn’t endear it to be a successful hub for gambling. Alongside this Alaska state legislation has maintained a very strong anti-gambling stance with very few forms of gambling legalized.

In this page we will outline the forms of gambling that are legalized in alaska and the current state of other forms that have either been outlawed or are yet to be formally legalized. Most importantly we will outline the legal gambling age in Alaska for the different gambling activities.

In the table above we have outlined the gambling age in Alaska for each of the legalized forms of gambling. For Casino’s the age limit is set at 21 as all tribal land casino’s in Alaska serve alcohol. The age for Bingo in Alaska is set at 19 and players are able to enter bingo halls that do not serve alcohol if they are 19+. Finally, the age for participating in Daily Fantasy Sports is assumed to be 21 – however there has been no definitive ruling as to the legality of Daily Fantasy Sports in Alaska so this could be up for debate.

In the following sections on this page we will go into more detail about the legal gambling age in AK for each form of gambling allowed in the state, so read on to learn more.

Casino Age in Alaska

Alaska state laws have outlawed casino gambling. However, like many other states who have outlawed casino gambling, there are some land-based casino on tribal lands that are allowed to operate.

These casinos, which are situated on tribal lands, have been authorized by the Federal National Gambling Commission. Entry to these casino’s is limited to those who are over the age of 21 as the casino age in Alaska is 21. The age of entry is probably set at 21 as alcohol is served on the premises and the legal drinking age in the US is 21.

The casino’s that operate in tribal lands are limited to Class II games. The Class II limitation means that they are unable to offer traditional casino table card games, and instead are limited to bingo games and scratch card like pull tab games.

For those Alaska locals who really do want to play the traditional casino table games and slot machines, many are able to achieve this by gambling on international cruise ships that anchor off the coast of Alaska. These ‘floating casinos’ cruise into town periodically and locals can enjoy the traditional casino experience every once and a while.

While it doesn’t seem like the Alaska state legislature will change their stance on the illegality of casinos in general, there are murmurings that there might be further applications for additional casinos located on tribal lands that will offer Class II games in accordance with the Indian Gambling Regulatory Act. However, there are no concrete plans as yet.

Are There any Casinos in Alaska that accept 18 year Olds?

There are no 18 year old casinos in AK. All casinos currently operating on tribal lands in Alaska have a strict 21+ age limit. However, some bingo halls operating the Alaska do allow entry for players who are 19+.

Certain bingo halls are able to operate under Alaska state law on the understanding that they donate 10% of all winnings to registered charities or non-profit organizations. These bingo halls are limited to offering bingo and pull tab games only.

For those players looking for the top casino’s and bingo halls are located we have gathered their addresses for you in the table below:

Sports Betting In Alaska

Alaska n’s are known for their passionate love and support of local sports teams especially the Alaska n University Ice Hockey team the Alaska Nanooks. It seems crazy then that sports betting is completely illegal in AK, but this sadly is the case.

This outlawing of sports betting also covers all pari-mutuel type gambling (horse and dog racing) and really does limit the types of gambling individuals in Alaska can get involved in. One saving grace for those who love to gamble on sports is that Daily Fantasy Sports have not been outlawed – we go into further detail about Daily Fantasy Sports later in this page.

For those Alaska locals who might be holding out for a law change regarding sports betting, don’t hold your breath. There haven’t been any significant movements towards legislation change since 2011, and the public as a whole don’t seem to be too bothered that sports betting is illegal.

Alaska Online Gambling Age

Known as the ‘last frontier’ Alaska really does live up to its name when it comes to its slow adoption of any gambling law reform. Alaska has had the same gambling laws in place since 1960 before the advent of online gambling, and while there have been no explicit amendments to the legislature that outlaw online gambling the law is widely understood and interpreted to mean that online gambling is illegal. There therefore is no need to consider the Alaska online gambling age as online gambling is completely outlawed in AK.

Many states in the US have outlawed online gambling. If you are unsure as to the current legality of a particular state make sure you check out its page on our website. On each state’s page we have included an easy to read table that outlines the legal betting age for each type of legalized gambling in the state in question.

For those who wish to gamble online while in Alaska there is a potential work around the state ban by playing on some offshore online sports betting or casino sites. However, players should be very cautious when using these sites as they aren’t regulated or licensed in the US, and therefore players will not be covered by any US or state consumer protection laws.

Another important federal law decision that players should consider when looking to gamble online in Alaska is the latest ruling by the Department of Justice regarding the Federal Wire Act. With the advent of online gambling many states across the US amended state legislation to allow online casinos and lotteries in 2011 after an interpretation of the Federal Wire Act stated that the act only outlawed online sports betting.

However, in January 2019 the 2011 decision was over-ruled by the Department of Justice, and all other forms of online gambling were considered to be covered by the Federal Wire Act. Therefore, the federal laws governing online gambling are very grey with several states filing briefs opposing this revised decision.

Online Poker in Alaska

Included within the outlawing of online gambling in Alaska is online poker. Some states have separate laws that only outlaw certain types of online gambling, allowing for some games to be played online. However, this is not the case here and Alaska has applied blanket illegality to all forms of online gambling which includes online poker and card rooms.

Daily Fantasy Sports in AK

One area of Alaska gambling that hasn’t been officially ruled on in state legislature is Daily Fantasy Sports, therefore this form of gambling is technically legal but its legality does not have a firm base in state law.

As there are no strict laws focusing on Daily Fantasy Sports it is implied that the legal age to participate in/gamble with Daily Fantasy Sports is 21. The decision to assume that the gambling age in Alaska for Daily Fantasy Sports is 21 aligns with the legal drinking age, and legal age to enter a casino in AK.

Since Daily Fantasy Sports arrived in the 2000s it has been technically legal in Alaska. It’s legality has been implied through the interpretation of The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006, which states that individuals were allowed to bet on fantasy sports as it was betting on a sport with a skill involved. However, the same act allowed state Attorney General’s to rule independently as to whether they considered a game in question legal or illegal. As Alaska is yet to definitively rule on whether Daily Fantasy Sports is legal gambling or not it continues to operate in AK under an assumed legality.

For those who would want a more concrete decision to be made on the legality of Daily Fantasy Sports in Alaska this might be a long time coming. With there being little conversation in the state legislature about introducing any amendments or altering current gambling, coupled with little public outcry for a definitive ruling, Daily Fantasy Sports is likely to retain its implied legality for the time being

Legal Age to Play the Lottery in Alaska

Alaska is one of 5 remaining states in the US to not have a state lottery. With the general consensus in Alaska being anti gaming the lottery has been included in the blanket outlawing of most forms of gambling. Therefore, there is no legal gambling age in Alaska for lottery.

For those residents who do want to participate in a lottery of some form they are still able to drive across state lines and purchase a ticket from a neighboring state such as Washington state which has legalized lotteries. However, those who do purchase lottery tickets from another state should check the legality on collecting winnings as a lot of lotteries do not allow winnings to be sent via post and must be collected in person.

At the start of 2020 things looked to be changing in regards legalizing a state lottery in AK. Both the Governor and House Majority Leader each offered plans proposing a state wide lottery in the hope that it would help with a state wide deficit. However to date no lottery has been instated in AK, but this is subject to change – and we will keep you updated via this page should any lottery be instated.

Alaska n Gambling Laws & Future Outlook

Alaskan gambling laws are enshrined in codes 11.66.200 and 05.15.680 of Alaska state legislature. In these codes gambling is defined as ‘staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or future contingent event no under one’s control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that person will receive something of value in event of a certain outcome’. This is deemed to cover the all casino games, sports betting, online gambling and lottery.

The market for gambling in Alaska is very small, accounting for $3.7million annually, and according to the American Gaming Association only supporting 27 jobs in 2019. This limited economic impact is most likely down to the strong anti-gambling laws and limitations on what forms of gambling are legal. To a lesser extent AK’s small population also means there are less people to participate in what limited forms of gambling are allowed.

There are no legislated gambling taxes in Alaska. However, the law does require that players who win over $600 declare this to the tax authorities. Winnings over $600 are then considered personal income and taxed at the appropriate level, dependent on the individuals current tax bracket.

Currently, the state retains its heavily anti-gambling stance with strict gambling laws that only bestows legality on a limited number of gambling activities. For those residents who would like more liberal gambling laws to be introduced, they will probably be waiting a long time – while Alaska is not known for a conservative approach, there doesn’t seem to be the appetite amongst the majority of locals to relax the current gambling legislation.

However, there may be some small changes on the horizon. With steps being taken at the start of 2020 to investigate the potential of legalizing a state wide lottery by both the Governor and House Majority Leader, there is the potential for the legalization of state lotteries in the near future.

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope we have been able to educate you on the Alaska state laws regarding gambling and the legal gambling age in ALASKA for the few forms of legal gambling that are allowed. If you still have some questions, take a look through our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions below and hopefully you will find your answer. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, chances are you are on the wrong page. For all ages broken down by state, check out our guide to the US gambling age by state