In Alaska, gambling and games of chance are limited to the realm of charity. Inside pull-tabs shops, which dot the central peninsula, players try their hand at winning money, while proceeds ultimately go back to specific charitable organizations. But the shops themselves are also a site of community.
In 1960, the Alaska legislature enacted regulations allowing certain games of chance and contests of skill, for purposes of charitable fundraising. The state doesn’t participate in national lotteries like Powerball or Mega Millions, but does allow games like pull-tabs and bingo.
“You’ve got slow days, busy days. Slow times, busy times,” said Kayla Hanson, who manages River City Pull Tabs in Soldotna. “Most of the time, the first of the month is a pretty busy time. Any time after any influx of money going into the community. PFDs, tax returns.”
River City is linked to the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce.
“They use our money to give scholarships, they use it for helping with the summer in the parks, every Wednesday, the music. They can pull from our money at any time to help fund some of the events around here,” Hanson said. “But it directly goes to the Soldotna Chamber.”
Each pull-tabs location is associated with a specific charitable organization. Marty Abel, a program coordinator with the state’s Department of Revenue, said qualifying organizations must fall under categories like civic or service, religious, charitable, fraternal, veterans, labor, political, educational and police or fire department.
To qualify, an organization must operate without profits to its members, and must be open continuously for a period of three years immediately before applying for a permit.
Abel said there are just over 1,000 pull tabs permits in the state. There are 24 with an address on the Kenai Peninsula. Those locations support a variety of causes: for example, Power Play Pull Tabs in Soldotna is connected to the Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association’s Booster Club, while Easy Street Pull Tabs near the Kenai Safeway is linked with the Ninilchik Senior Center.
But Hanson at River City Pull Tabs said regulars mostly choose their spot because of the staff, many of whom have a long-time presence at their shops.
“My mom managed this place for 25 years before she passed away two years ago. And then I have worked here for… this will be coming up on my 10th year. And the other gentleman who works here has been involved in pull-tabs and bingo for well over 15 years,” she said.
Hanson said she sees a mix of regulars and one-time customers. And she said the amount of time they spend in the shop varies.
“Anywhere from two minutes to multiple hours,” she said.
The shop, like many around town, is centered around a tall counter surrounded by barstools, with Hanson in the center, doling out tickets. Pull-tabs themselves are individual pieces of paper with perforated tabs that one pulls to reveal symbols, and see if they match winning combinations. There are a predetermined number of winning tickets in a given game.
Around noon, customers trickle in. One buys Alaska lotto tickets. One plays a single game but decides not to go on.
Another is a regular, who tells me the amount of time he spends here depends on whether there’s coffee. Hanson has just finished brewing a new pot. Her basset hound Cleo hangs around the store, and is also immortalized in a portrait on the wall, alongside a memorial to Hanson’s late mother.
Abel, with the Department of Revenue, said the average net proceeds from pull-tabs in the state in the last five years is about $25 million annually. Hanson said her location has been highly successful, even meeting the state’s cap.
“The state gives each permit $2 million to pay out into the community. So the last two years, the year of 2021 and 2022, we actually hit our max $2 million, we ended up having to shut down in the middle of December,” she said.
Hanson said they’ve since adapted, only offering lower-payout games as they approach the max.
Pull-tabs aren’t just available at dedicated locations; Abel said for-profit businesses can host gaming on behalf of a charitable permit-holder, or a licensed alcohol vendor can sell pull-tabs for a qualified permittee. There are eight of those on the peninsula.
Abel said regulating pull-tabs is its own game, with more than 100 statutes and regulations over 187 pages.
