AlaskaSB 17034th Legislature - Second Session (2026)SenateWALLET

GAMING; ELECTRONIC PULL-TABS

Sponsored By: Jesse Bjorkman (Republican)

Became Law

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

17 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 5 costs, 9 mixed.

Tougher conflict and licensing rules for suppliers

Manufacturers cannot supply electronic pull‑tabs to a distributor they or certain related people or companies own. Disqualified persons cannot get a manufacturer license, and related‑company convictions can block or end licenses or registrations. Operators or groups that run games cannot get distributor licenses, and manufacturers and their related companies cannot get an electronic pull‑tab endorsement. Manufacturers and related parties cannot give or accept gifts or things of value with vendors, operators, permittees, qualified groups, or distributors.

Guaranteed shares and tighter vendor caps

Operators must pay each permittee at least 30% of adjusted gross income from pull‑tabs and 10% from other gaming each year or lose the license or permit. Paper pull‑tab contracts must give permittees at least 70% of the ideal net, and vendors must pay the ideal net minus their compensation on delivery by named check or EFT. Vendor shares are capped at 30% of adjusted gross income for paper and 25% of gross receipts after prizes for electronic; vendors may sell only paper and electronic pull‑tabs on portable tablets. Vendors must pay by the 15th each month; late payments force distributors to disable electronic games, and 60‑day delinquencies can trigger ABC license suspension. Distributors must provide monthly income, prize, and AGI reports by the 5th; vendors must report monthly disbursements to permittees. Vendors are responsible for cash shortages and cannot deduct them from AGI. Contracts may allow pooling of permittees and split income by percentage; disqualified persons cannot register as vendors.

Higher prize caps for charities

Door prizes can total up to $40,000 a month and $480,000 a year. A municipality or qualified organization can award up to $2,000,000 in prizes each year. If a contest of skill pays more than $1,000,000, up to $1,000,000 of those prizes does not count toward the $2,000,000 cap. For multiple‑beneficiary permits, multiply the $2,000,000 cap by the number of beneficiaries.

More reporting and contract rules for operators

Operators must send a monthly report and pay net proceeds by check or EFT to each permittee by the 15th. Operators must file quarterly reports after each quarter and an annual report by February 28 with totals paid to each permittee; raffles and lotteries are reported after they finish. Municipalities and qualified organizations with permits must file an annual report by March 15 and include any extra required fee. Operator‑permittee contracts must state pay, term, activities, location, and member in charge, and be approved by the department before use; amendments also need approval. Licenses and permits must be posted on site or by a sign that points to a website with the details. If you move a permitted activity, you must tell the department within 10 days. An operator may run electronic pull‑tabs only with a separate endorsement, and only if all required reports were filed and the license was not revoked within the past five years.

On-site oversight and staff play bans

You must name an on‑site person to oversee paper and electronic pull‑tabs. A location may use one tablet per six allowed occupants, or at least 10 tablets, whichever is greater. The supervisor must be present while tablets are in play. Owners or employees cannot play paper pull‑tabs at their workplace. Anyone with access to the electronic deck status report cannot play electronic pull‑tabs at that location.

Stronger state oversight and enforcement

The department must set rules for licensing, renewals, revocations, net proceeds, sworn financial reports, fingerprint checks, online ticket sales (with age and location checks), and ferry gaming. The department may investigate licensed and unlicensed gaming, examine books and records, issue subpoenas, and impose civil penalties.

New tax and penalties for vessel gaming

Operators of permitted gaming on vessels must pay a tax equal to 10% of gross receipts. The tax is due by the 15th day of the following month. Running or taking part in vessel gaming without the right permit or in violation of the rules is a class B misdemeanor.

Fairer sales channels and in-state distribution

Manufacturers may sell pull‑tabs only to licensed distributors, need a separate endorsement to distribute electronic systems, and must pay for independent lab testing before distribution. Distributors must get the same paper pull‑tab prices and quantities; paper games can be exclusive to one distributor only during the first five years. Manufacturers may refuse to sell to large distributors only for listed reasons. All pull‑tabs and systems must be shipped from an Alaska location, and electronic series may be delivered only to a vendor’s on‑site server for a permittee. Manufacturers cannot pay to modify buildings or provide utility hookups for installs.

Gaming on state ferries with $10,000 fee

Gaming is allowed on Alaska Marine Highway vessels for people 21 or older. Play must be within three nautical miles of the coast and only in approved areas, not dining rooms, kid areas, or cabins. The department issues only one permit per vessel; you may run more than one game type and operate on multiple vessels with separate permits. You must keep gaming records and show them on request. The annual permit fee is $10,000.

New prize limits for bingo and e-pull-tabs

Bingo prizes are capped at $10,000 per session and $2,500 for a top prize in one game. Progressive bingo is allowed and does not count toward those limits. Electronic pull-tabs have a $4,000,000 yearly prize cap per municipality or qualified organization; for multiple‑beneficiary permits, multiply by the number of holders. Starting in 2030, the department may raise prize caps by up to 10% once every five years, rounded up to the nearest $10,000.

Faster notice when partners lose licenses

When a related permit or license is suspended or revoked, the department must notify operators, distributors, and manufacturers. Notices go by email and through the state’s single‑sign‑on website. This helps businesses react fast and limit risk.

More modern games can get permits

More modern games can be permitted even if they did not exist before 1959. This includes electronic pull‑tabs and certain listed classic contests. Qualified groups have more choices for legal fundraising.

21+ age limit for pull-tabs

You must be 21 or older to buy, play, or redeem a pull-tab in Alaska. Sellers must refuse sales and redemptions to anyone under 21.

Cities can protest local gaming permits

A local government can file a resolution to protest proposed gaming in its area and state the reasons. The department may consider the protest when deciding permits or licenses. Protests must claim the applicant lacks the qualifications required by law.

New rules for electronic pull-tab devices

The law sets strict rules for electronic pull-tab devices and games. Devices are tablets up to 13 inches, take cash or debit only, and cannot show spinning reels or connect to other screens. Each game series has a fixed prize table and ticket count (no more than 15,000) with a unique, non‑regenerating serial; no extra fee is allowed for extended play. Systems must show results and use secure connections; the ideal payout cannot be over 90%. A distributor’s total charge to a permittee is capped at 35% of gross receipts after prize payouts.

Stronger controls on distributors and contracts

Distributors need a separate endorsement to offer electronic pull-tabs. Contracts must allow either side to end the deal with 30 days’ notice and no penalty, and no signing bonuses or incentives are allowed. Distributors and manufacturers must file signed contracts within seven days; distributors must register every tablet and attach a serialized stamp. Gifts are tightly limited: no more than $25 to an organization, plus up to $250 a year in labeled promo items with annual reporting; manufacturers and distributors cannot link paper and electronic pricing or collect or sell paper pull-tab or bingo point‑of‑sale data. All series must be serial‑numbered and sealed/encrypted, invoices must list per‑ticket price, and distributors face conflict‑of‑interest and family‑relation limits on who they can supply.

Tighter prize records and winner receipts

For paper pull-tabs, permittees must keep two years of records for each prize of $100 or more. For electronic pull-tabs, they must keep two years of records for prizes over $500 and over 500 times the ticket price. To pay a paper pull-tab prize of $100 or more, the winner must sign a department‑approved receipt and return it.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Jesse Bjorkman
Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 14 • No: 6

Senate vote • 5/11/2026

PASSED Y14 N6