Alaska House approves organized betting on snowfall amounts
Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, speaks on the floor of the Alaska House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Alaskans could soon have access to a new type of charitable gambling.
In a 35-2 vote on Friday, the Alaska House of Representatives voted to allow 'snow classics,' a type of gambling game that involves guessing the amount of snow on the ground at a certain spot and a certain date and time.
Snow classics are currently limited to a guessing game at Mount Alyeska, held to benefit Four Valleys Community School, but if the Senate passes House Bill 50 and Gov. Mike Dunleavy allows it to become law, organizations across the state would be allowed to hold them.
HB50 was sponsored by Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, who introduced it on behalf of the Juneau Nordic Ski Club.
The tax division of the Alaska Department of Revenue said it believes the bill could be implemented without any impact on the state budget.
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