Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legit in Alaska?
Yes. Sweepstakes are completely legal as long as there is no entry or participation or a fee to enter. In our guide, we’ll discuss the origins, the legal framework for social casinos, and the best options for Alaskans.
Although Alaska doesn’t have commercial casinos, there are two tribal casinos that operate under a Class II gaming license. They have an annual economic impact of $149 million and a tax impact of $12 million, showcasing the strong interest of players in Alaska to play casino games for fun.
Considering that traditional old fashioned real money online casino and sportbook options are illegal, Alaskans are using the best possible alternatives - casino-style games at sweepstakes social casinos.
Best Alaska Social Casinos
Residents of the largest US state by area enjoy social gaming because these casino-like games are engaging and free to play. Below, we list some of the most popular and established sites to consider playing at:
• Mega Bonanza - It has a vast selection of slots from renowned developers, a proprietary app and a Winner’s Weekly tournament with a GC 10,000,000 prize pool.
• Crown Coins Casino - Has over 800 games, which include Vegas-style slots, Texas Hold ’em Poker in 3D, Multihand Blackjack and constantly revised rewards for existing players.
• Spree Casino - Offers the best welcome offers, in terms of percentage. You get a 200% extra coin offer, meaning you get to play with 30 Sweepstakes Coins, for just $9.99
• Wow Vegas - Features over 1,000 games and a sponsorship from Paris Hilton. One of the most popular sweepstakes casinos enjoyed by more than 2 million players.
Are Sweepstakes social casinos legal in Alaska?
Yes, because no purchase is necessary to play and win at social casinos, they remain 100% legal as long as they comply with federal and state law.
Can I win real money playing at Alaska social sweepstake casinos?
No, you can’t directly win real-world value money while playing at social casinos in Alaska. However, you can play with sweepstakes coins and then redeem coins for prizes and vouchers that have real cash value.
Can I claim bonuses at Alaska sweepstakes casinos?
No, social casinos don’t offer bonuses like traditional online sites do. However, you can purchase coin packages and bundles and get purchase offers.
Alaska’s Games of Chance Through the Years
Alaska’s history with games of chance predates European contact, with indigenous groups taking part in traditional forms of these activities. It remained unregulated during Russian colonization in the 18th and 19th centuries and was quite popular as a pastime activity in saloons and social clubs in frontier settlements and mining towns.
By the time Alaska became a US state in 1959, the government had banned casinos and all forms of betting. Still, raffles, bingo, charitable gaming and pull tabs were always allowed for non-profit organizations in these years.
Since the 1990s, Alaska hasn’t had federally recognized tribal casinos because the Native lands are under different legal designations. However, pull-tabs, charitable gaming, bingo and social gaming are still legal. In contrast, Class III land-based casinos, online slots, and table games remain illegal by the law.
Alaska’s Sweepstakes Legal Framework Today
Gaming operations in Alaska are regulated on two levels - federal and state. On a federal level, The Sweepstakes law defines illegal gaming as activities and operations that include 3 distinguishing features:
• Consideration - Paying to participate and access the games
• Chance - A random outcome of the games
• Prizes - Winning something by playing
Since social casinos don’t fulfil the first criteria - consideration - and you can join them without having to pay anything, they cannot be considered illegal and thus are widely accessible across the US with a handful of exceptions.
On the state level, the operations are regulated in the 2023 Alaska Statutes, Title 5, Chapter 15. In the statute, Alaska goes further into specifying the federal law and requires that sweepstakes operators must obtain a state permit to run a game of chance and must be free for players to enter. It also requires that you be over 21 years old to be able to join social casinos, and you must verify your identity during registration. At the same time, the operators must follow the marketing practices of the tobacco and vaping industry.
How Sweepstakes Casinos in Alaska Work
Despite the restrictive legal regulation of online gaming, online social casinos are perfectly legal and accessible to all Alaskans over the age of 21. Because you don’t need to buy anything to start playing here, as soon as you register, the site will give you free coins and a few sweepstake coins.
Sweepstakes coins have no $ value, but you can take part in free play for casino-style games from renowned software providers like 3 Oaks, Betsoft Pragmatic Play, Booming Games, BGaming, and many more.
Social casinos don’t require you to purchase virtual coins to be able to play. However, if you wish to do so, you can buy bundles and packages to get free sweepstakes coins to play more and redeem the different prizes offered in the social casino.
Traditional sites offer bonuses and promotions that require you to buy your way into greater prizes, but this is not the case for social casinos. Very often, you will be offered alternative sweepstakes promotions like tournaments, discounts for bundles and other ways of earning free coins.
