Will North Dakota Sports Betting Ever Expand Its Laws?

When sports betting in North Dakota first debuted in December 2021, the expectation was that the initial gaming structure wouldn’t be permanent. Under the original terms, North Dakota sports betting could only take place in-person, at one of the state’s three tribal casinos. Most believed officials would soon look to expand the purview to include online sports gambling. 

So far, however, this has not been the case. Three rounds of legislative meetings have taken place since The Roughrider State legalized sports betting, and only one of those featured a meaningful discussion on the possibility of mobile wagering. That conversation, as it just so happens, was this past year. And while it’s encouraging that such a debate occurred, it reportedly didn’t go anywhere.

Which raises the question: Why hasn’t North Dakota expanded their sports betting laws yet? And when might they do it, assuming they do it at all? Let’s dive into the latest discussions and see if we can find any potential answers.

Support to Expand North Dakota Sports Betting wasn’t Very Strong in 2023

For the first time since the legalization of in-person betting nearly three years ago, certain North Dakota officials almost passed a bill that would have broadened the state’s sports wagering operations. However, it failed to receive the necessary support and ultimately died. Charlie Horner of SBC Americas outlined all of the pertinent details:

“House Concurrent Resolution 3002 was a measure to make a constitutional amendment in North Dakota to offer the electorate to vote on legalizing and regulating sports betting from commercial operators. A constitutional amendment is required in North Dakota to legalize sports betting, meaning this bill would have had to pass, plus a majority at the general election 2024. Filed by Rep. Greg Stemen and sponsored by 11 colleagues, HCR 3002 was first brought to the House on January 3 before being referred to the Judiciary Committee. The measure passed through the House in a narrow 49-44 vote on January 12 before being sent to the Senate via the upper chamber’s Judiciary Committee. It then took one month to be heard by the committee, where it was amended and placed on the calendar. Called to the floor, HCR3002 failed at the second reading, with a 16-30 vote, meaning that sports betting will not be on the ballot in 2024 if nothing changes.

Based on the results, it’s clear that online sports betting in North Dakota needs to continue generating more support. It absolutely matters that this bill passed the House, but it still mustered only a 52.6 percent approval rating. Support could swing in the other direction the next time this vote takes place. 

Meanwhile, this says nothing of the extremely limited advocacy in the Senate. Barely one-third of the members currently support North Dakota online sports betting. That’s a lot of ground to make up. 

Chances Not Looking Good for North Dakota Online Sports Gambling in 2024

Optimists are already looking ahead to 2024, when North Dakota could again consider the legalization of online sports betting. Assuming a measure is both proposed and passed at the next round of legislative meetings, that would still leave the proposal with enough time to appear on the 2024 general election ballot. With this in mind, it’s tough to imagine a North Dakota sports betting bill in 2024 would be successful. The circumstances surrounding the debate probably won’t have materially changed by then. 

Reversals of sports betting support usually require a shift in governing power. But there won’t be a wave of new House and Senate members installed before next year’s sessions. 

Incumbent officials could always change their tune. This normally occurs when surrounding states embrace a policy they’ve also put up for consideration.

That’s not going to be an issue for North Dakota in 2024. None of their nearby states project to change their gaming laws. Nobody expects online sports betting in South Dakota anytime soon. Online sports betting in Wyoming is already legal, but North Dakota isn’t losing a ton of prospective revenue to them. Residents are more likely to dabble in Montana online sports betting, which was legalized in 2019. In essence, North Dakota won’t be influenced by any of their neighbors. If they were going to follow the lead of Wyoming and Montana, they would have done so already. 

When Might North Dakota Online Sports Betting Actually be Legalized?

At this rate, anyone who supports online sports betting throughout North Dakota should be gearing up for a long wait. 

Let us assume The Roughrider State will not change their tune next year. In that case, they won’t be able to get a North Dakota sports betting initiative on a general election docket until the end of 2026. And even if it passes the popular vote during that time, it could still be 2027 or 2028 before it’s officially rolled out.

And remember, this all assumes the shortest possible timeline. A continued resistance to doing business with the best online sportsbooks in the United States will only lengthen the wait. If a sports gambling bill doesn’t pass through both the House and Senate by 2026, there’s a good chance online wagering wouldn’t be legalized and rolled out before 2031. 

Of course, this is all speculation. Maybe North Dakota has an immediate change of heart. Or perhaps we see an influx of progressive thinkers assume seats in the House and Senate in 2024. Whatever the case, a lot has to change if North Dakota online sports betting is ever going to be legalized. 

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