Alaska – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations
Online Casinos in Alaska (US)
Find the Best Alaskan Casino Online
When developing online gambling platforms, few to none operators will look to Alaska as their main market. However, that doesn’t mean Alaskans will not find a suitable platform to partake in various games. It may, however, be a problem finding an online platform accepting players from this state. That is unless you turn your attention to offshore gambling platforms, which pose a danger when it comes to legal and security issues but are frequently used by many players.
Not to worry, though, because GoodLuckMate is here for that specific purpose – to review and test online casinos and eventually help you make the best decision possible. While we will do the heavy lifting, it’s important to know what we look for in an online gambling operator when reviewing them:
- Can you register at an online casino while in Alaska?
- What types of bonuses and promotions are available?
- What currencies can Alaskans use and are cryptocurrencies accepted?
- Does the operator have a solid customer reputation?
- What range of payment options does the casino offer?
- Does the casino implement security features to protect its players?
Apart from the aspects mentioned above, GoodLuckMate has gone the extra mile to review other key features for each online casino. This is to ensure you get the best online gambling platform and a lot more information than the main pros and cons.
Furthermore, the reviewers assigned to analyze these casinos are independent experts in the iGaming industry with no affiliation whatsoever to the operator. With that said, you should not have to hesitate when choosing to sign up and play at one of these casinos.
Gambling Regulation
Similar to other states in America, the law is ambiguous when it comes to online gambling in Alaska. To date, there have been no written laws that explicitly prohibit online gambling and no such attempt has been made to achieve the same result by other means. The definition is pretty standard as far as the law goes but there are certain games that the state does explicitly prohibit. These are cards, roulette wheels, coin-operated machines, and dice.
While the law may not be clear, that doesn’t mean that it’s explicitly legal to gamble online from Alaska. Even so, no one has faced the wrath of the law as far as online gambling goes. With that in mind, punters from Alaska can seek entertainment at offshore-based online operators. Doing that, though, requires extreme caution, especially with licensing and regulatory matters.
Localized Online Casinos
Unfortunately, Alaskans will not find a localized casino that targets this specific market simply because of the small numbers. That means punters will have to seek alternative online gambling platforms. Note that while there may be no operators focused on this market, players will still find other platforms, especially US-facing operators that offer some form of localization.
For instance, most of the operators use English as the main language and that extends to the default language for customer support. Furthermore, players can use some of the popular payment solutions available for US players with no problem.
This includes eWallets such as Neteller and Skrill, major credit/debit cards, Play+, and bank transfer/ACH among others. Bonuses and promotions are not left out either and players should expect a wide range of goodies ranging from deposit bonuses to free spins and cashback on these platforms. However, these bonuses will vary from one operator to another, so it’s up to you to decide which one appeals to you most. As for the offerings on some of these platforms, punters can bet on sports that feature prominently in the US such as American Football, NBA, and Ice Hockey – the former and latter simply being known as Football and Hockey in Alaska.
Gambling with US Dollars
The American dollar is the main currency used when gambling at both land-based and online casinos. Therefore, Alaskans shouldn’t worry about the entire process involved with currency conversion or the fees that are sometimes included.
That’s not to say, however, that all operators use dollars, as others may use euros or other currencies. Finding out this information before signing up on a platform will go a long way in saving you from any disappointments. Furthermore, you shouldn't expect that an operator will include all of the currencies available worldwide. That will be impossible to manage payments.
Casinos in Alaska
Alaska doesn’t have a land-based commercial casino. However, players will find several gambling venues restricted to pull-tab and bingo games, although these are limited. Some of these establishments include Boniface Bingo, Northern Lights Bingo, Sitka Tribe of Alaska Bingo, and Diamond Rose. In total, players have just under 15 venues spread across the entire state, and considering its vast size, players will be limited to a few venues in their locality.
When it comes to online gambling, players will have offshore sites as their only resort. While some of these sites accept players from Alaska, you need to tread with caution to avoid falling into traps of predatory sites. You need to perform your due diligence to avoid falling at the mercy of online casinos. Even better is that you can go through GoodLuckMate’s reviewed and tested list of online gambling platforms. Keep in mind though that you will be gambling at your own risk.
Dispute resolution – can I get help from a third party?
A gambling license is intended to protect players, and one of its main functions is to provide a mechanism for resolving disputes when they come up. If you have a dispute with a casino, and the casino is being unreasonable, the gambling authority will help you. For many licenses, this means you can contact the gambling authority to get help processing your withdrawals, claiming money the casino has debited from your account, or resolving other disputes that might arise. The likelihood that the gambling authority will help you in ways that are effective, however, depends on the procedures they have in place for this. This is yet another reason why choosing to play at a casino that has a safe license is important.
Getting help directly from the gambling authority is not always necessary, or even an option. A lot of regulators have now enforced third-party dispute resolution. This means casinos must have an agreement with an arbitrator who will look into disputes on the behalf of players from a particular casino. This ensures your dispute will be reviewed by an objective third party. All trusted online casinos have information about arbitration on their websites if they use this option, or they’ll have the contact information for the gambling authority you should consult. However, you should always try to resolve your issues with the casino first, and a lot of casinos have separate email addresses specifically for handling complaints.
Secure payments – can I trust a casino with my money?
If you’re worried about the security of the transactions you’re making at a casino, you should look for a logo with the acronym PCI DSS. This stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, and this is something the payment industry has created. If you see this logo, it means the casino can be trusted for safe money transactions since they follow all of the rules set by the payment industry. Information about this can also be found in an FAQ section on the casino’s website.
Another thing to look out for in terms of payments is where your money is kept while you play. Some gambling authorities, all of the best ones actually, regulate what the casino can do with your money while they are holding it. Your money shouldn’t go into a general bank account held by the casino; it should go into an account that is strictly for holding player funds. This means that as long as you have the money in your player account, it can’t be spent by the casino. Your deposit will be kept separate from the operating funds of the casino until your player account is empty, which will happen if you make a funds withdrawal or if you lose the money while playing.Fair gaming – do the games give me a fair chance to win?
The best known system tool for ensuring that a casino offers fair games is eCogra; however, there are other providers that also offer these kinds of systems. You want to make sure that the casino is using a certified third-party control system to ensure that the games of chance you’re playing are actually based on chance and not on other types of metrics. Rigged games are ones that have been set up to pay out less than they claim to or ones that give some players a greater chance of winning than others.
The eCogra logo can often be found in the footer of the casino’s website, but not all casinos choose to display it. If you can’t see this logo, go to the FAQs and see if you can find information about random number generators. If there are no FAQs on the site, check out their terms and conditions or contact the casino’s support and ask how they ensure their games are safe.
Encrypted website – how is my information kept safe?
An SSL-encrypted website should be mandatory for any casino, and very few casinos operate without this or similar safe encryption features. Always keep in mind that you are giving the casino quite a bit of sensitive information, including your payment details. When you’re uploading and sending documents to verify your identity, you want to make sure that no unauthorized third-party has access to them. Site security, therefore, doesn’t only include the website itself but also what the casino does on the backend. You should always look into a casino’s data security. You’ll normally find information about this in their terms and conditions and their privacy policy. If in doubt, contact their support and ask for more detailed information.
Most trustworthy casinos have information about site security in the website footer, so simply scroll down and look for the logo of a well-known security system.
Gambling license – can I play at a casino from my country?
The gambling license a casino operates under will have a big impact on your security. Not all licenses are equally safe for players for the simple reason that they are issued by different gambling authorities that work in different ways and have different rules. The rules and regulations may be quite similar, but the way they are enforced is a different story entirely. For example, if a casino doesn’t comply with the regulations, some gambling authorities may just issue a fine while others may revoke the casino’s license outright. How often gambling authorities show up for an unscheduled inspection or control will also vary.
The biggest differences between a safe, high quality gambling license and one that isn’t as good will usually show up in the areas of fair gaming, dispute resolution and the rules and systems for identifying and handling problem gamblers (responsible gambling). If your country of residence has its own gambling authority, playing at casinos that are licensed by them will be the safest option for you. Other international licenses that can be trusted are issued by the Malta Gambling Authority and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority. Curacao eGaming is getting better at protecting players whereas licenses from Panama and Costa Rica, for instance, are considered less safe. The worst option is obviously a casino with no license whatsoever.
Our casino experts have tried and tested all aspects of each and every casino, so you can feel confident when signing up.
