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Adam Roarty is a journalist covering sports betting, regulation, and industry innovation for CasinoBeats. His coverage includes tax increases in the UK, covering breaking stories in the ever-evolving landscape of US betting such as the...
Read Full BioA bill to legalize online sports betting in Alaska has been reintroduced for consideration in the new legislative session. The state has highly limited gambling options, with no tribal or commercial casinos. The legislation proposes making it the 40th state to legalize sports betting in the US.
Rep. David Nelson introduced House Bill 145 in March last year, but it made no progress after being referred to the Labor and Commerce Committee.
If passed this year, it would see 10 operators allowed to offer online sports betting to Alaskans. The state would charge $100,000 per license and impose a 20% tax on revenue.
The Alaska Department of Revenue would oversee regulated wagering, with Commissioner Adam Crum granted authority to issue or renew mobile sports betting licenses.
Responsible Gaming Requirements
The bill includes several measures to protect Alaska residents. These include:
- Operators must implement systems to track and report suspicious betting activity.
- Platforms must include responsible gambling messaging and tools.
- Advertising and promotions cannot be targeted at people under 21.
The commissioner is also granted the authority to restrict any individuals from placing bets, and will keep a list of those excluded from gambling.
Alaskans Already Betting on Sports
When first introducing the legislation last year, Rep. Nelson commented, “Alaska needs more diverse sources of revenue, and this is one of them. Legalized sports betting is a simple solution for a market that already exists in the state.”
GeoComply, a geolocation service for gaming companies, testified last year that Alaskans have made hundreds of thousands of attempts to access sportsbooks in other states.
Since then, the expansion of prediction markets has given residents even more options for wagering on sports. Alaska was one of the first five states where FanDuel launched its prediction market platform, FanDuel Predicts, in December.
Earlier in December, Alaska residents were able to access Fanatics’ platform, Fanatics Markets, before most other states. Users also have access to other major operators, including Kalshi, Polymarket, and DraftKings Predictions.
Other States Consider Sports Betting Expansion
Alaska is among several states considering expanding their sports betting markets this year. Wisconsin and Mississippi are two states that could open online sports betting, while lawmakers in Nebraska and South Carolina are also considering active bills.
Although Missouri opened its market in December last year, no other state passed legislation to legalize sports wagering in 2025. That marked the first year since the PASPA ruling in 2018, during which no state had legalized sports betting.
This week, Missouri reported its results for the first month of the legal market, with limited revenue collected due to licensed operators’ expenses outweighing profits. Companies invested heavily in customer acquisition, offering new users free bets and promotions.
Missouri legalized at a 10% tax rate, lower than the 20% proposed in Alaska. Rep. Nelson hopes that will convince lawmakers to support his proposal.
