When you sign-up through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more >
Sports betting is legal in North Dakota
For the time being at least, sports betting is not legal in North Dakota. There was, however, a brand new sports betting bill introduced in January of 2019 that could change everything.
All across America, fans of sports gambling are pulling up their sleeves, stretching out their thumbs, and getting their wallets out for the oncoming wave of legal online sports betting.
That’s all thanks to the US Supreme Court decision to strike down the federal ban on sports betting that had been in place since 1992.
The problem? Some states could be waiting longer than others. North Dakota finds itself around the middle of the pack when it comes to making progress towards legalization but there have been encouraging signs as 2019 gets underway.
In this guide to North Dakota’s legal sports betting situation, we take a deep dive into all the most important points including:
We’ll also check in whether you can bet on daily fantasy sports (DFS) in North Dakota as well as the most popular sports that gamblers from the Peace Garden State are likely to focus on.
Refer to our state guides for more information on sports betting laws in other parts of the US.
20K public contests per day
Play against friends privately
Win even if you don't finish 1st
Bonus up to $500!
New Users Only. Min. $5 Deposit. Eligibility restrictions apply. See DraftKings.com for details.
Free play options
Special contests for newbies
Get a FREE NBA Entry
21+ | Min Deposit $10. T&Cs apply
Easy registration
Beginner friendly
Impressive range of bonuses
$500 Deposit Match Bonus
Live streaming and instant replays
Exclusive rewards program
Huge variety of bets
$200 Sign-Up Offer
21+ | Terms and conditions apply
$25 referral bonus
Picks from horse racing experts
Promo Code '200TVG'
Get your first single horse wager back up to $200
21+ | Terms and conditions apply
In case you missed it, something huge happened in the US sports betting world and it could have a profound impact on sports fans in North Dakota.
In May of 2018, the US Supreme Court reversed a federal ban on sports betting that had been in place since 1992. It was called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) and now that it’s gone, each state in the US has the freedom to write their own new laws around sports betting.
North Dakota didn’t react right away but with more than ten casinos already in operation and a healthy sports culture, it was clear that there was potential for legal sports betting in ND.
As 2019 got underway a new bill, HB 1254, was introduced by state lawmakers in order to allow “sports betting as a game of chance” in North Dakota. The bill also stipulates that regulating and overseeing legal sports betting would be up to the state Attorney General.
After PASPA was repealed, the Peace Garden State took the same approach as roughly half the country.
While some states like New Jersey, Delaware and New Mexico jumped in with both feet, North Dakota adopted a wait-and-see approach to find out how legalized sports betting played out in other parts of the country.
State lawmakers must have liked what they saw because at the beginning of 2019 they introduced a new bill to make sports gambling legal.
Like most states, there are people on both sides of the fence.
State Republican Andy Margos told The Bismarck Tribune that she’s not so confident the issue will have enough support to move forward smoothly.
“I think it would have very minimal support because of the particular political pressures put on by various groups,” said Andy Maragos. “My guess is, if there is a group of citizens out there that would like to see sports betting legalized in North Dakota, they’ll have to go to the ballot.”
North Dakota already has over ten casinos split almost evenly between tribal and charitable casinos so the state certainly has an appetite for gambling.
Another factor is that other nearby states including South Dakota are also moving forward with their own sports betting bills. In addition to missing out on potential tax revenue by not legalizing it, ND can expect to lose even more money when its citizens travel to other states to bet on sports.
For all these reasons we expect serious movement on this issue in North Dakota during 2019.
North Dakota finds itself in the middle of the road regarding its gambling laws and much of its history has to do with legislation specifically for tribal and charity gambling.
While the state doesn’t have much experience with sports betting in particular, the fact that it has adopted other forms of gambling like casino games bodes well. It also means that the state has the infrastructure to create land-based sportsbooks followed by online betting options.
Let’s take a look at the major events in North Dakota’s gambling history:
There was a blanket ban on all types of gambling in the state until 1976 when the government passed legislation to allow charitable gambling such as bingo and fundraisers such as raffles.
Two things happened in 1987, including an expansion on the charitable gambling laws. During this time, North Dakotans gambled more per person for charitable causes than any other state.
Coincidently, pari-mutuel sports betting was allowed at horse and greyhound race tracks in the state.
Casino gaming in the state started in 1992 when five tribal communities reached an agreement with the state government to build casinos, which now allow Class 3 table games.
In 2002, voters approved North Dakota joining in multi-state lotteries. In 2004, North Dakota opened up its own state lottery.
Republican James Kasper originally tabled the bill in 2005 but was unable to get enough support for it to pass.
Since that bill, North Dakota hasn’t done much in the way of online gambling legislation.
Unfortunately for residents in North Dakota, there are no legal sports betting sites available at the moment.
When legalization does happen in North Dakota, we expect to see many of the same options that are available in other states that have legal sports betting.
Make sure to check back on this page for expert reviews of the best North Dakota online sports betting sites. You’ll be able to compare all the online sportsbooks that accept players from North Dakota and guarantee yourself a big bonus when you sign up for an account.
In the meantime, keep an eye out for big brands like these to become the best online sportsbooks in North Dakota.
Originally based out of Las Vegas, Caesars Sportsbook has moved to other parts of the country like New Jersey since the wave of legalization began.
Some benefits of joining include Caesars matching your first deposit for up to $300. They’ve also reinvented their sports betting app for a much smoother experience.
The parent company of 888Sport has been around for a long-time offering casino, poker and sports betting in other parts of the world. 888Sport has partnered up with existing casinos in other states to become one of the best legal US online sportsbooks.
William Hill began in Britain and made its way into the American market when they acquired American Gaming Inc. in 2011.
Caesars has many years of experience as one of the biggest bookmakers in the world so it’s a safe bet they’ll be one of the major brands that casinos in North Dakota look to for online betting options.
At the moment, you can’t legally bet on any sports online in North Dakota. When online sports betting ultimately becomes legal, however, basically every major sport in the world will be fair game.
The most popular sports in North Dakota include Basketball, football, ice hockey, and baseball.
Here are some of the professional and college teams that sports bettors in North Dakota may choose to focus on when sports betting becomes legal:
Right now it’s a waiting game to see how exactly legal sports betting will develop in North Dakota.
Although we don’t know the exact details, we can tell you how it works in other states. Chances are good that North Dakota will be very similar.
Yes. It is legal to bet on daily fantasy sports (DFS) in North Dakota.
Ever since the US government passed the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act and designated fantasy sports as a game of skill, North Dakota residents have legally been able to participate in betting on daily fantasy sports.
The realm of fantasy sports has grown dramatically in recent years, with some of the top websites going heavy on promotions. Here are some of the top options for those looking to play fantasy sports in North Dakota.
One of the most popular sports betting websites in the United States, with estimates for 2019 stating that the website should pay out approximately $1 billion worth of winnings.
The long-standing website paid out almost $2 billion in 2015, and they offer good perks for newcomers, such as 100% money back on your first $5 or $10 bet.
The newcomer to the fantasy sports game is making waves, A couple of the reasons they are becoming more popular is because of their user-friendly interface and new member bonus.
Experts are optimistic about the future of online sports betting in North Dakota. There’s definitely a market for it and many different people in the state stand to profit if it’s made legal quickly.
With a new sports betting bill already introduced and a variety of powerful factors pushing the state towards legalized sports betting, we expect it to happen by 2020 at the latest.
Janelle Mitzel is the President of the Charitable Gaming Association of North Dakota and she told The Bismarck Tribune that the future of sports wagering in North Dakota may involve contracting with a “large entity” such as MGM.
“I’m sure we will have some organizations that will want to do sports betting,” Mitzel said. “And some of those organizations will be able to handle it and handle some limited amounts of bets, probably in conjunction with contracting services.”
Creating partnerships between existing casinos and larger brands with experience in sports betting and online betting sites is a strategy we’ve already seen in lots of other states.
Usually, land-based sportsbooks are constructed in existing casinos, followed shortly after by online betting sites and apps.
North Dakota wasn’t among the first batch of states to legalize sports betting but all signs indicate that it won’t be among the last, either.
ND is showing lots of signs of life including new sports betting legislation and a multitude of interested parties that include casinos, the state lottery, and some lawmakers.
By all accounts, the people of North Dakota are also in favor of having legal sports betting options.
The first part of 2019 should shed some light on the state’s progress and we recommend checking back on this page for major developments as they happen.
Bonus up to $500!
New Users Only. Min. $5 Deposit. Eligibility restrictions apply. See DraftKings.com for details.
After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Journalism, Richard Janvrin has been covering iGaming and sports betting since December 2018. Richard has covered betting at Bleacher Report, Gambling.com, The Game Day, Forbes, and more.
More info on Richard Janvrin
© Rebel Penguin ApS 2023 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.)
We support responsible gambling. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call
1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-522-4700 (NV), 1-800-522-4700
(CO,
TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI).
WSN.com is run by iGaming Cloud Inc (a Gaming Innovation Group Subsidiary) and is registered with the New Jersey
Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) under affiliate vendor ID
89744,
with the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) under certificate of registration number SWR-000148, approved by
the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as a gaming service provider, under certificate registration number
117656-1,
possesses a Vendor Minor sports betting license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (account
number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board,
an
interim Sports Wagering Supplier license, under license number SWS 066, issued by the West Virginia Lottery
Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director
of
Gaming Licensing and Investigations of the Virginia Lottery to operate in the State of Virginia, and a
Vendor
Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.
Advertising disclosure: WSN contains links to online retailers on its website. When people click on our
affiliate links and make purchases, WSN earns a commission from our partners, including ESPN and various
sportsbooks.