North Dakota Set to Join Legal Sports Betting States

By Wednesday, December 1st, residents of North Dakota could begin placing their first sports bets within the state, given that there are no regulatory delays. In the event of such, the launch may be pushed back to January. However, betting is slated to get off the ground fully in time for the 2022 Super Bowl, the largest sports event in the US in terms of viewership and betting handle.

The Dakota Magic Casino will be the first venue to offer sports betting services, in addition to its casino games.

30th State to Legalize Sports Betting

The American Gaming Association has officially added North Dakota to the list of states where sports betting is live and legal. It joins Washington DC and 28 others who have launched this vertical in the three years since the Supreme Court annulled PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992).

This milestone for North Dakota comes after years of many unsuccessful attempts at broadening the scope of gambling in the territory. In 2019, a bill to legalize commercial sports betting was shot down in a 37-8 vote. Earlier this year, a proposal for a 2022 ballot proposition that would allow voters a say in the matter had advanced out of the state House but was defeated in the Senate.

Online poker has seen even greater opposition, as efforts to approve it have been ongoing for 15 years. These attempts have proved futile as the majority of lawmakers would rather leave sports betting limited to tribal lands.

Tribal Gaming Takes the Lead

Wagering has been approved to kick off at Dakota Magic Casino (DMC) in Hankinson. The casino is a tribal establishment and one of the three owned by the Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprise (DNGE).

Prior to PASPA being struck down, the casino had already signed a compact with the state covering sports betting. However, only afterward were they able to begin arrangements towards launching the product.

The DMC is set to begin providing sports betting services with a dedicated lounge fitted with large TV sets. Part of the décor is leather seating, cellphone charging stations, and a huge wall-to-wall video screen for viewing live sports events. The lounge will officially open its doors in January. However, the casino will begin running its sportsbook through clerks and self-serving kiosks.

Bettors in the state will be able to wager on college events and popular local games. Markets will also be available on the University of North Dakota’s NCAAF teams, which are a part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

In preparation for the launch, Dakota Magic Casino has previously teamed up with IGT’s PlaySports platform.

The casino is hoping to see the approval of mobile betting in the not-so-distant future. Off-site betting would allow the casino to push ahead in this new market and foster higher results and revenue. In the meantime, sports wagering will remain confined to the Dakota Nation sportsbook as state and tribal officials have yet to approve mobile betting.