Alaskan lawmakers consider legalizing commercial gambling

Lawmakers in Alaska are considering a bill (HB 103) that would legalize some forms of commercial gambling in the state, including California-style card rooms. But opponents of the bill say that Alaska is a petri dish for addiction and that allowing any new forms of gambling there would be a really bad idea.
The bill itself is relatively straightforward and provides a framework for the establishment of a state gambling commission. It also sets up a framework for commercial gambling establishments to apply for a license (after they’ve paid a $100,000 licensing fee). Under the terms of HB 103, operators would pay out a 9.5 percent tax to the state based on their gross revenue.
According to bill sponsor, Representative Colleen Sullivan-Leonard, “HB103 will expand the gaming laws in Alaska to include operation of card rooms hosting banked and non-banked card games.” Leonard went on to point out that this debate is not new saying, “Card rooms in the state of Alaska have been contemplated for years, now is the time to stop contemplating and make them a reality. Let’s bring the cards out of the back rooms and in a fun, social setting for all to enjoy.”
Tribal gaming, it should be noted, is already available in Alaska, with most of the casinos clustered near the state’s largest city, Anchorage.
Critics of the bill say that adding more gambling to Alaska, with its dark and endless winters, is a bad idea – especially when one considers that problems the state already has with addictions of all kinds.
In a statement to the press, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services pointed out, “Ask any Alaskan if they know someone who has struggled with addiction, and more likely than not, you’ll hear a story about how a fellow Alaskan was hurt by a substance use disorder.”