Proposed Alaska Card Room Bill Could Be Precursor To Legal Sports Betting

• HB 103 would legalize card rooms and various player- and house-banked card games.
• The bill would also establish the Alaska State Gaming Commission.
• Sports wagering is not a part of the proposed legislation.

JUNEAU, Alaska – State legislators are currently debating HB 103, which would nominally legalize so-called “card rooms” in The Land of the Midnight Sun.

Card rooms have long been discussed in the Alaska legislature, but with the newfound mainstream interest in sports wagering – and thus gambling in general – the support to open these venues could be strengthening.

As the bill currently stands, it is fairly limited. The proposal would establish an Alaska State Gaming Commission and legalize card rooms and various house- and player-banked card games.

Bill sponsor Rep. Colleen Sullivan-Leonard (R-7) uses some familiar language in boosting her law:

“…[N]ow is the time to stop contemplating [card rooms] and make them a reality. Let’s bring the cards out of the back rooms and [into] a fun, social setting for all to enjoy.”

According to Sullivan-Leonard, these venues, if legalized, would be open 24/7, and they’d offer “traditional amenities such as restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and hotels.”

No Sports Betting Provisions In HB 103

Many analysts characterize HB 103’s card rooms as “casinos without slot machines.” While this is not altogether inaccurate, it must be clarified that the legislation is strictly focused on card rooms and card games.

The bill would not allow any other standard casino amusements to operate in the state. As is the case with slot machines, traditional casino table games like craps, roulette, and others would remain illegal in the state.

Of course, given the popularity of sports gambling – an estimated 100,000 Alaska residents wager on sports each year – anything seems possible.

It is also true that without the framework set by this current bill (or a future bill similar to it), sports wagering will be difficult to implement in the state. There is no extant government body that would oversee the activity, though the provisions set forth in the new bill would likely put the Alaska Gaming Commission in charge.

If sports wagering is to make its way to The Last Frontier within the next couple of years, HB 103 might be the best path forward.

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