Is Poker legal in Alaska (ak)? Online Poker Laws in Alaska Explained

Can You Play Online Poker in Alaska?

There is currently no legislation permitting online poker in the state of Alaska.

Current Alaska Gambling Laws

The largest state in terms of square miles, Alaska houses various small Native American casinos that offer gaming options such as slots, bingo, and pull tabs. Gambling devices, i.e. slot machines, are otherwise banned in the state of Alaska.

Poker is considered a game of chance in Alaska. There are no live poker rooms allowed in the state. However, social poker games in the privacy of homes are permitted so long as no rake is collected.

On Sept. 10, 2013, a change in law allowed legal gaming activity to be promoted on the internet in Alaska, but the change only pertained to promotion and advertising. Conduct of any gaming activity online is still illegal.

In 2016, Alaska passed the Alaska Gaming Reform Act, which regulates the Charitable Giving Program. The act extended charitable giving to include raffles, bingo and pull tabs. The act extends the charitable giving program to include raffles, bingo and pull tabs. Part of this effort was to force the giving online and eliminate paper records.

Horse racing and off-track betting is prohibited, though "dog mushers" contests are allowed. A number of other games of skill and/or chance directly associated with Alaskan culture are also allowed, by permit only.

Alaska Senate and House also passed a bill, SB 157, that would enable Dave & Buster's to open a location in Anchorage, clarifying that the state's gambling law does include arcade-style amusement games of skill "(as opposed to chance) that reward tickets, credits, allowances, tokens or anything that can be redeemed for non-cash toys, candy and novelties at the same location." Claw games are included in this set.

The tax revenue that Alaska's limited population could produce isn't going to inspire lawmakers to tackle iGaming on their own, though there's a good chance they'd follow the lead of other states. It's a potential domino, but with virtually no iGaming conversations being had, it's not going to fall anytime soon.

Best Online Poker Sites for Alaska Players

None at present. None at present. But you can always play poker for free with the WSOP Social App.