Most gambling is illegal in Alaska. The exception is what's known as charitable gaming. Some 1,200 organizations turn to gaming to finance their work and good deeds. About half do so with pull-tabs, including many in rural Alaska. Not all are, strictly speaking, charities. The state allows a wide range of groups to participate, including Native villages, whaling associations, mushing associations, sports teams, municipalities, trade associations, political organizations and fraternal organizations like the Moose and Elks.
