Alaska Lottery (AK): FAQs and How to Play

Is there a lottery in Alaska?

There is no official state-wide lottery within the state of Alaska. However, the state may issue a permit for certain games of chance – including Bingo, raffles, sweepstakes, and so on.

Why Alaska Doesn't Have a Lottery

Unlike most other states, Alaska doesn't have a state-sponsored lottery. In other words, Alaska Lottery doesn't exist.

There are a few reasons why Lotto Alaska doesn't, which can be summarized into the following main points:

• There is little interest in an official, state lottery. Although the idea has been explored several times in the past, there is not enough interest for Alaska to set up a lottery of their own. Agency reports have shown that the state's dispersed, small population would probably mean a state lottery would not generate enough prize money to be considered worthwhile.
• An official lottery would likely hurt current state-regulated charitable gaming activities. As stated by Katrina Mitchell, head of Alaska Revenue Department's gaming section: “These current activities support numerous nonprofits in the state, and any changes would likely be opposed by the entities that benefit from the current system.”

How can people from Alaska play lottery?

Residents of Alaska can participate in lottery games – including multi-state games like Powerball and Mega Millions – by physically travelling to a state/country that permits such games.

You can travel to Canada, for example, to play any of their local games. Alternatively while you are there, you can sign up for a service like theLotter and enjoy online gaming. Technically, as long as you sign up and use the service while you're physically within Canada (or any country where online gaming is legal), you should be good to go.

Another option is to simply travel to any other US state and buy tickets there. You'll also be able to bring your tickets home with you.

Claiming your winning ticket is another matter, though. You may be able to mail in your winning tickets, so be sure to check beforehand.

Is online gambling allowed in Alaska?

No. Alaska laws do not permit the participation in online gambling of any kind, just like Utah lottery. This includes enlisting the service of a lottery agent, or participating in online lotto-betting.