Alaska Online Sports Betting Bill to Be Reconsidered in 2026

• An Alaska House of Representatives member has re-introduced an online sports betting bill
• The bill died in committee during the 2025 legislative session, but is once again eligible for reconsideration
• The bill allows for up to 10 online sports betting licenses

Alaska online sports betting did not work out in 2025, but a House of Representatives member is willing to try again in the new year.

Rep. Davis Nelson (R-18) recently re-introduced HB 145, a bill to legalize Alaska online sports betting. The legislation will allow for up to 10 sports betting licenses to be distributed to operators.

Nelson debuted the bill last March, where it died in committee.

Alaska Eyeing Multiple Licenses

If approved, Alaska sports betting will be regulated by the state Department of Revenue. Licenses will cost $100,000, be valid for one year, with operators subjected to a 20% tax rate on adjusted gross sports betting revenue.

Nelson’s legislation allows for up to 10 online sports betting operators to do business in Alaska. Online sports betting operators would not be tethered to any brick-and-mortar gaming elements in the state.

“Alaska needs more diverse sources of revenue. Legalizing sports wagering is a simple solution that would capture a market which already exists in this state. Every day people are betting in Alaska using illegal means, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation while generating no fiscal benefit to the state,” Nelson said when he introduced the bill last March.

The state currently has no land-based casinos, but does allow games of chance and bingo. Online sports betting operators would not be tethered to any casino partners if the bill is approved.

If more than 10 applicants are interested in acquiring a license, the Department of Revenue will award them based on projected gross revenues, relevant experience in other states, and projected tax revenues.

Additionally, operators may only apply for a license if they currently offer online sports betting in at least three other states.

Other bill details:

• Sets the minimum sports betting age at 21
• Allows betting on college sports
• Allows betting on the Olympics
• Does not regulate daily fantasy sports
• Allows user accounts to be funded through credit cards

If approved, the bill will likely go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

Possible Alaska Market Will Be Small

Alaska is one of the least populous states in the country with just a shade over 740,000 inhabitants. The only two states with a smaller population than Alaska are Vermont and Wyoming.

With no professional sports franchises, or Division I colleges, the Alaska sports betting market is likely to be fairly small. No other state in the U.S. with legalized sports betting is home to zero professional sports teams or Division I colleges.

To put things in perspective, Vermont only reported $7.2 million in sports betting tax revenues in 2025, up from $6.3 million in its first year of sports betting.