Lottery In Alaska

Currently, there is no option to play the Lottery games in Alaska, the state remains to be one of a handful of states within the USA to have strict laws that prohibit this kind of activity.

There is a movement with the population speaking up and expressing an interest to be able to join in with multi-state Lotteries such as the US Powerball and Mega Millions and in 2020 Governor Mike Dunleavy moved to create the Alaska Lottery Corporation.

Legal Lottery Options in Alaska

One of the first proposals for a state lottery in Alaska came in 1999 and again in 2003, when Senator Robin Taylor, a Wrangell Republican and gambling supporter, introduced Senate Bill 178 and House Bill 240 which would have legalized a twice-annual lottery draw. Sadly these efforts were quashed when the proposal was not enacted.

One of the arguments for not having a state lottery is the low Populus level of the state, with only 731,545 residents, but this argument can be debunked by the recent success that the South Dakota Lottery has made. South Dakota has a similar population at around 884,659 according to a recent survey (2019) and the state managed to generate a $128.4 million Lottery revenue in the fiscal year of 2020.

In more recent times, Governor Mike Dunleavy has been leading the charge to get some extra income for the state of Alaska with the legalization of a lottery. He would introduce the Alaska Lottery Corporation Act in February 2020 with a duo of Bills in the shape of SB 188 and HB 246.

Despite releasing a whole whitepaper on the proposal of an Alaska State Lottery Corporation detailing how the lottery could positively impact the state with regards to extra funds for much-needed causes, the bills were ill-timed and the government dropped them due to the pandemic.

Alaska State Lottery History

• January 1959 – President Eisenhower signs a proclamation that admits Alaska into the Union as the 49th state.
• February 1993 – House Bill 168 changes aspects of charitable gaming within the state of Alaska, in 1995 the law changes would force the closure of these kinds of casinos with nearly all gaming equipment sold to other states.
• February 2003 – Senator Robin Taylor introduces Senate Bill 178 and House Bill 240 that would later die due to lack of support.
• February 2020 – Governor Mike Dunleavy introduces the legislation (HB 246) that will establish the Alaska Lottery Corporation.
• May 2020 – HB 246 and Senate Bill 188 were both shut down due to pandemic reasons.

What Could the Alaska Lottery Revenue Fund?

The original plan set forth by Senator Robin Taylor in 2003 was aimed at setting up a Department of Revenue that would oversee a state lottery and with revenues from the lottery to be directed to a special lottery education account that could support education within state lines.

However, in recent times, Alaska has gone into debt, with 2020 seeing a $1.5 billion deficit statewide. What the government does know is that Alaska residents spend around $350 million a year betting on platforms that are based internationally, with none of these revenues going to the state.

The latest bills to be put forward by Governor Mike Dunleavy in early 2020 planned not only to get Alaska out of debt with the extra income but to go towards other much-needed programs such as the foster care system and helping the homeless.

What Would the lottery Games Include?

There are plenty of options that Alaska could have if they legalize lottery in the state, it all just depends on how much much extra revenue they want to go for. Some states similar to Alaska only offer limited lottery games such as draws, but other states like Rhode Island also offer instant games and video lottery terminals that bring in a much larger revenue stream.

Whilst there aren’t the exact plans laid out right now, that’s something for the state government to decide on. We could see games of this nature in Alaska soon:

• Draw Games
• Instant or Scratch-Off Tickets
• Keno
• Monitor Games
• Multi-State Games
• Sports Betting
• Video Lottery Terminals

Our bet is that once the pandemic is dealt with and the state needs to recoup funds more than ever, they will swiftly move to legalize a state lottery, so watch this space and we will update you as we learn more.

Ciaran McEneaney

Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.