Cars drive aboard the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry Hubbard on June 25, 2023, in Haines. (Photo by James Brooks)
A Republican legislator from Wasilla has proposed legalizing some types of gambling aboard Alaska Marine Highway System ships as a way to raise operating revenue for the state-run ferry system.
The proposal encountered rough seas during its first hearing as legislators questioned the financial gain and an expert said it could be difficult to implement.
House Bill 197 , from Rep. Jesse Sumner, R-Wasilla, would allow Vegas-style slot machines and other electronic gambling and is envisioned as raising money for the state in the same way that riverboat casinos raise money for states in the Lower 48.
Cruise ships that visit Alaska already have the ability to operate casinos if they’re more than 3 miles offshore, and Sumner said in written testimony that he envisions a similar model for Alaska ferries.
Cody Rice, an aide to the Alaska House’s coalition majority, said he estimates that the bill “would potentially raise in the order of $20 million or more per year, substantially offsetting the Alaska Marine Highway System’s net costs.”