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Sports Betting in Anchorage, AK
This is our brief Anchorage (AK) online sports betting guide. Check the gambling sites, legal sportsbooks, mobile apps. Read about Alaska casinos, gambling locations in 2020.
Anchorage Betting Overview
Gambling laws in Alaska, and its biggest city Anchorage, are very restrictive and will probably remain the same in 2020.
There are no land-based sportsbooks or racetracks (no online betting apps either) in Anchorage (Alaska), so players have to rely on quirky options such as dog mushing contests. In this, players can guess the timing of dog mushing (sled race) contests, with the closest guess winning a prize, or bet on salmon fishing contests.
Due to such a small amount of gambling being allowed in the state, there is not so much history in regards to this. Current sports gambling laws in AK paint a very broad picture of what gambling actually means, then go on to make it all illegal.
The following is a quote from the Alaskan State Legislature on gambling:
(1) “contest of chance” means a contest, game, gaming scheme, or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that the skill of the contestants may also be a factor;
(2) “gambling” means that 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; “gambling” does not include (goes on to list amusement devices with no real prizes). (Source Alaskan Statutes 2013, AS 11.66.270)”
Will Anchorage legalize sports betting?
As far as any changes in the future go, there isn’t much hope to see online sportsbooks. Alaska lawmakers seem satisfied with the way things are and changes to online gambling legislature don’t seem likely.
Governor Michael J. Dunleavy, a Republican, has no plans to introduce a sports betting bill, and spokesperson Berett Wilber said the governor’s office was unaware of any current legislative efforts. In Alaska, the governor can introduce legislation, but those bills must go through the House and Senate rules committees.
That being said, a glimmer of hope came in 2018, when a Supreme Court ruling stroked down a federal law prohibiting on football, basketball and baseball in most US states.