The gambling laws in North Dakota make the Peace Garden State unique, such as its “charitable gaming casinos” that operate all over the state and offer legit casino gaming (for charitable purposes, of course). The bizarre landscape that is North Dakota legal gambling can also be seen in its state lottery, which only offers players multi-state gaming options and nothing in-state. But you’ll find no shortage of gambling options in North Dakota, with its 7 tribal casinos offering slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and more. Just don’t mention online poker, daily fantasy sports, or sports betting. North Dakota is having none of it and all proposals get shut down quick and hard.
North Dakota Legal Gambling History
The first step towards legalized gambling in North Dakota came as late as 1976 when the state carved outlaw for charitable gambling to be made legal. Unlike other states, charitable gambling in North Dakota is huge. There are currently over 800 small charitable gaming casinos in operation that offer bingo, raffles, pull-tabs, blackjack, poker, and more. Proceeds must be used for charity and these operations are strictly regulated. Slots are not allowed per law.
In 1987, the state legalized pari-mutuel track betting. There are currently two-horse race tracks operating in North Dakota, Chippewa Downs Racetrack and North Dakota Horse Park.
North Dakota established a state lottery in 2004. Strangely, no in-state drawings are offered. North Dakota only has multi-state games such as Powerball, Mega Millions, Hot Lotto, Wild Card 2, and 2by2.
After the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, the North Dakota’s 5 tribes put together their plans for casino gambling which they rolled out to the state in 1992 when they entered compacts. That same year, casinos began to open up.
So far, all attempts made at legalizing sports betting and online gambling have been struck down hard. There seems to be little support for these forms of gambling in North Dakota.
North Dakota Land-Based Casinos
North Dakota has 7 tribal casinos and offer a variety of slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and more.
North Dakota’s tribal casinos are:
- 4 Bears Casino & Lodge
- Spirit Lake Casino & Resort
- Prairie Knights Casino and Resort
- Sky Dancer Hotel & Casino
- Sky Dancer Mini Casino
- The Dakota Magic Casino
- Grand Treasure Casino
North Dakota Legal Daily Fantasy Sports and Sports Betting
Neither daily fantasy sports or sports betting is legal in North Dakota and they aren’t projected to be any time soon. This is because North Dakota lawmakers are overwhelmingly in opposition to it, shutting down the last bill in 2019 as quickly as it came about.
North Dakota Legal Gambling FAQ’s
What forms of gambling are legal in the state of North Dakota?
The following are legal in North Dakota:
- Casino gambling at tribal casinos including slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and craps.
- Charitable gaming, including casino gaming but excluding slots.
- State lottery including Powerball and Mega Millions, excluding in-state games.
- Track betting, off-track betting, and pari-mutuels.
Will any other types of gambling be making their way to North Dakota anytime soon? Online gambling, daily fantasy sports, or online poker?
Anything can happen as we see all of the time across the country. Usually, a state that is traditionally against gambling will see what a profitable avenue legal gambling is for tax revenue. But as it stands, every attempt to put forth a proposal for online gambling or sports betting has lost by an overwhelming majority.
