Introduction to Alaska Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2018
Alaska slot machine casino gambling simply does not exist, as there are no casinos located in Alaska having electronic gaming machines. However, there are a few pull-tab “casinos” and community bingo halls as well as a few visiting cruise ships.
This post continues the weekly blog series Online Resource: State-By-State Slots Gambling Summaries, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambling enthusiasts to success. Each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Alaska*
The minimum gambling age in Alaska depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 21 (pull-tab gambling establishments).
- Poker Rooms: n/a.
- Bingo: 19.
- Lottery: n/a.
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: n/a.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws apply to various forms of gambling. This information is not intended to provide legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Alaska
Private ownership of slot machines in Alaska is legal as long as it is not being offered as a gaming device for unlawful gambling.
Gaming Control Board in Alaska
Alaska has not yet established a state gaming commission or gaming control board.
Relevant to eventually having video lottery terminal slot machines, Alaska has also yet to establish a state lottery.
Class II gaming facilities are authorized by the federal National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). NIGC was established by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. These facilities offer bingo and pull tab games.
Most recently in 2008, voters were asked whether they wanted to legalize gambling and establish an Alaska Gaming Commission. It failed with 61% against. Here is a summary of prior efforts to legalize gambling in Alaska.
Casinos in Alaska
Alaska does not have any Las Vegas-style casinos nor pari-mutuel facilities. However, it does have pull-tab casinos as well as many community bingo halls.
There are zero non-tribal casinos, 10 American Indian tribal casinos, zero non-tribal racinos, and 2 cruise ships based in Alaska.
The largest gambling establishment in Alaska is MIC Gaming Hall in Metlakatla, having 90 pull-tab machines, bingo, and zero table games.
List of Casinos in Alaska
None are available, other than the cruise ship options mentioned below.
List of Tribal Casinos in Alaska
While not casinos, strictly speaking, the gambling establishments offering either bingo, pull-tabs, or both are:
- Agate Pull Tabs in Sand Point.
- Atka Ira Council Pull Tabs in Atka.
- Klawock IRA Pull Tab Shoppe in Klawock, operated by the Metlaktia Indian Community.
- MIC Gaming Hall in Metlakatla.
- Native Village of Barrow Pull Tabs in Barrow.
The community halls offering only bingo are:
- Juneau Tlingit and Haida Tribal Bingo in Juneau.
- Kake Tribal Heritage Bingo.
- Sitka Tribal Bingo in Sitka.
Other Gambling Establishments
There is no state lottery available in Alaska. At the time of this writing, there is no law prohibiting online gambling in the state.
As an alternative to enjoying Alaska slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring these visiting cruise ship options:
- Anchorage: Crystal Cruises – Crystal Serenity.
- Juneau: Royal Caribbean International – Radiance of the Seas.
Finally, Vegas-style casinos with traditional slot machines do exist in Canada. From Ketchikan in southern Alaska, it’s only 50 miles to Chances Prince Rupert Casino in British Columbia. It has 100 slot machines and 12 table games.
The next nearest Canadian casino is located 2,200 miles further south, specifically Casino Nanaimo in Port Place across the Strait of George from Vancouver, British Columbia. It has 350 slot machines as well as Vegas-style table game options.
Payout Returns in Alaska
There are no casinos in Alaska, and therefore no theoretical or actual payout return statistics available.
Summary of Alaska Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2018
- The land they are constructed on must be trust or restricted land, which is limited in Alaska.
- The more usual issue of the State not yet approving casino-style gaming.
Annual Progress in Alaska Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Over the last year, there has been no change regarding the legal status of having slot machines available in Alaska. However, bingo community halls and pull-tab gambling establishments have shown some small changes.
Specifically, combined pull-tab and bingo facilities in Alaska have increased from 6 to 8 establishments. Most of the previously existing establishments from one year ago still exist, however they appear to have different if similar names.
2017 Archive: Alaska Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2017 – Alaska slot machine casino gambling does not exist, but has 10 community bingo halls across 9 cities with a grand total of 92 slots and gaming machines. The difficulty facing tribes is 1) The land they are constructed on must be trust or restricted land and 2) the State has not yet
Related Articles from Professor Slots
- 11 Things You Need To Know About American Indian Tribal Casinos – Tribal gaming is involved, even sophisticated, in terms of legal, regulatory, political, and economic factors. It’s one of the least understood segments of the U.S. gaming industry. This summary article on American Indian tribal casinos helps slot machine casino gamblers better understand the tribal casinos they visit.
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Series: Online Resource: State-By-State Slots Gambling Summaries – Now in its second year, this series is an online resource dedicated to slot machine casino gambling enthusiasts. It provides 56 weekly, detailed gambling summarizes covering each U.S. state, territory, and the federal district to capture dynamic changes occurring of late in the U.S. gaming/gambling industry specific to slots play.
- Previous: Alabama Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2018 – For those interested in slots, there really isn’t any such thing as Alabama slot machine casino gambling. Only Class II bingo-style machines are offered at 3 American Indian tribal casinos and 1 pari-mutual wagering racino, with no legal limits on payout returns or actual payout return statistics publicly available.
- Next: American Samoa Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2018 – American Samoa slot machine casino gambling does not exist. Located in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, tourism is not significant here. American Samoa has no casinos,
exception for visiting cruise ships. Nearby Western Samoa offers significant tourism and gambling junkets options.