Online Gambling License in North Dakota

In North Dakota, gaming activities are controlled by the North Dakota Gaming Division, which operates within the Attorney General’s Office.

The Gaming Division is in charge of regulating and overseeing charitable gaming in this state, as well as reviewing gaming tax returns and administrative complaints. The Division is also obliged to provide adequate training for charitable gaming organizations.

At the same time, the Gaming Division enforces the tribal-state gaming compacts, allowing the state’s tribes to run five casinos on their land. These casino establishments are regulated under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). The Division has the authority to inspect Indian casinos to ensure they adhere to prize payout ratios and wager limits.

In North Dakota, gambling may only be conducted by licensed charitable gaming organizations. The state law doesn’t allow any form of commercial online gambling, and even licensed organizations are not allowed to conduct online gaming activities like hosting an online raffle. In other words, the permitted games can only be held in physical establishments.

Also, the state has the Racing Commission. The North Dakota Racing Commission (NDRC) is a state agency and regulatory body overseeing live and simulcast racing in the Peace Garden State. The agency administers three special funds created to support the horse racing industry in North Dakota.

Types of Gambling Regulated by the North Dakota Gaming Division and North Dakota Racing Commission

Various types of gambling are regulated by the North Dakota Gaming Division. Let’s take a closer look at those types.

Charitable Gaming

Charitable gaming forms in North Dakota include bingo, raffles, pull tabs, electronic pull tabs, paddlewheel, electronic quick shot bingo, sports pool, poker, and Twenty-One.

Nonprofits can organize these games in bars or physical gaming establishments overseen by the North Dakota Gaming Division. In other words, all these competitions and games must comply with the Division’s strict guidelines.

For example, players must be at least 18 years old to play bingo, while the minimum legal age for other games is 21. One of the restrictions is also the maximum bet limits – for instance, the maximum bet in poker is $1.   

Tribal Casinos

North Dakota has five land-based casinos operated by Native American tribes from this state, thanks to the five tribal-state compacts. Dakota Magic Casino & Hotel, Four Bears Casino & Lodge, Skydancer Casino, Prairie Knights Casino and Resort, and Spirit Lake Casino operate on tribal lands.

These are Class III gambling establishments, providing slot machines and other electronic games of chance, table games (poker, blackjack, roulette, craps), pari-mutuel wagering,  pull-tabs, in-person sports betting, raffles, keno, paddlewheels, and punchboards.

It’s worth noting that tribal gambling operations are regulated and authorized by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). However, these casinos operate in partnership with the state under valid gaming compacts, and they can offer only in-person gambling.

Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Betting

As mentioned earlier, the North Dakota Racing Commission (NDRC) is tasked with regulating pari-mutuel wagering and live horse racing. Another objective of the Racing Commission is to promote the pari-mutuel wagering and live horse racing industry in North Dakota.

There are two live tracks in North Dakota, and the NDRC is charged with licensing and overseeing them. The first live horse race track is in Chippewa Downs, and the other is North Dakota Horse Park in Fargo.

Interestingly, though, while sports betting is only allowed in person at tribal casinos, online horse racing betting is permitted. The NDRC licenses online horse betting sites, and you can find the list of regulated operators on their official site, on the Licensees page.  

Lottery

The North Dakota Lottery started in 2004. It oversees all lottery games in the state. Players 18 or older can buy tickets from licensed stores or online at the official ND Lottery website.

The lottery offers five popular games: Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto America, Lucky for Life, and 2by2.

You can also download the ND Lottery Players Club app. The app lets you buy tickets, view results, earn points, and join Points for Drawings promotions.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Daily Fantasy Sports, or DFS, is not explicitly allowed nor explicitly prohibited in North Dakota. In other words, DFS is still in a gray area, benefiting from the current legal loophole. Fans of online sports betting in North Dakota can turn to these sites for the experience closest to genuine online betting.

The DFS operators consider their products to be games of skills (contests of skills), which are not defined as gambling in North Dakota. This allows big names, like DraftKings or FanDuel, to offer their DFS online platforms in the state.  

The North Dakota Gaming Division Regulatory Framework

Charitable gaming is the main form of entertainment in North Dakota. Therefore, we’ll start with some details on legislation related to this segment.

Charitable gaming is permitted in North Dakota. Nonprofit organizations with a valid State Gaming License issued by the Office of Attorney General are eligible to conduct these gaming activities. However, organizations or a group of people who obtained a Local Permit from a city or county can also run and offer charitable games.   

To become eligible for the State Gaming license, organizations must submit an application and documents showing that they are nonprofits. Organizations and a group of people can also run a gaming fundraiser if they obtain a Local Permit or Restricted Event Permit from the county or the city. Fundraising activities can include raffles, bingo, or poker events.

When it comes to tribal gaming and tribal casinos, the situation is very clear. North Dakota has five compacts with Native American tribes in this state that allow them to offer gambling entertainment in physical casinos built on their land. The compacts between North Dakota and tribes went into effect in 2013. Indian casinos are authorized by the US Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Finally, the North Dakota Racing Commission (NDRC) is responsible for horse racing events and pari-mutuel wagering in the state. The NDRC also licenses and taxes four off-track facilities in the state. These facilities allow players to watch and bet on various events from all over the world. The Commission also ensures compliance with state laws regarding horse racing, such as rules on medication, horse welfare, and race operations.

FAQs about the North Dakota Gaming Division