Find the Best Legal North Dakota Sports Betting Sites: Safe Bookies

North Dakota may have a small population, but that hasn’t stopped the Peace Garden State from creating a relatively exciting gambling industry. And while there is currently no legal North Dakota sports betting, lawmakers in the state have been pushing to change this since even before the PASPA ruling in 2018.

As we only ever recommend players use trustworthy licensed bookmakers on this website, we are unable to recommend a North Dakota legal online sportsbook. Instead, we’ve focused on discussing other available gambling options, the current gaming laws, and the future outlook of the industry.

What Betting Options are Legal for North Dakota Residents

There may be no legal online sports betting in North Dakota for the time being, but ND gamblers shouldn’t be completely disappointed. The state is home to a growing number of tribal casinos that offer both slots and table games, horse race betting, daily fantasy sports, and the lottery.

Is Daily Fantasy Legal in North Dakota?

Since it’s rise to prominence in the United States, many states have moved to either legalize daily fantasy sports (DFS) or outlaw it completely on the grounds of being illegal gambling. Although lawmakers in North Dakota have considered legalizing DFS, they have instead chosen to simply tolerate DFS without legislation.

This means that players can wager on their draft fantasy sports teams with DraftKings and FanDuel for cash prizes without fear of breaking the law. This is due to the element of skill and research needed to be successful in the games, as opposed to sports betting and other forms of gambling that mostly rely on luck.

Are there Legal Offshore Sites for North Dakota Players

Some offshore betting sites such as Bovada and MyBookie may advertise in North Dakota as legal websites but be warned: this is not true. As there is can be no licensed North Dakota legal online sportsbook until sports betting is legalized, these are not reputable sports betting sites and are acting illegally.

Any website that accepts players from an illegal jurisdiction is can not be trusted. Without being licensed, there is no way to ensure that bets are fair and that your money is safe. We suggest you wait until legal North Dakota online gambling is sanctioned before you gambling anywhere online.

Casinos

Whether you’re a fan of table games or slot machines, you’ll find it all at North Dakota’s casinos. There are more than 20 gaming facilities spread across the state, with Fargo being home to 10 of them. All casinos are operated by the state’s tribal gaming groups, with six offering Class II gaming.

With 1,200 slot machines, blackjack, and craps available, the Dakota Magic Casino Hotel in Hankinson is about the closest you can get to Vegas-style gaming in ND. Online casino gambling is strictly prohibited in the state, so we recommend you stick to these establishments until legal online sports betting in North Dakota is authorized.

Racetrack Betting

Pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is legal in North Dakota. There are two racetracks in the state, including Chippewa Downs in Belcourt and North Dakota Horse Park in Fargo. Fortunately, there are also four licensed off-track betting parlors available and four licensed horse race betting websites.

This is therefore the closest thing to legal online sports betting in North Dakota. Bets can be made on races at both tracks as well as at domestic and international horse racing events. Both in-state races and betting are regulated by the North Dakota Racing Commission.

Card Rooms

A number of North Dakota’s casinos also host poker card rooms. There are four card rooms in the state including the 4 Bears Casino and Lodge, the Dakota Magic, the Sky Dancer, and the King Pin Casino. There are strict laws on poker in North Dakota which prohibits online poker and limits all live poker to tribal casinos.

Pots can not exceed $300, though mostly caps hover around the $100 mark. Games are therefore fixed-limit or spread-limit varieties of Hold’em, Omaha, and Stud Poker. The World Series of Poker often runs small tournaments at the Dakota Magic Casino and the Sky Dancer Casino.

Nearby States with Legal Sports Betting

As we mentioned, there is no legal online sports betting in North Dakota. However, it is not against the law to travel to legal sports betting states to wager on sports. To be sure that you’re betting with safe, licensed sportsbooks, this is the betting option we recommend the most.

Below, we’ve listed a number of nearby states that bettors can wager at until North Dakota sports betting is legalized. Montana is the closest state, though players can only place bets on-site at licensed retailers.

• Montana
• Iowa
• Colorado

What would Legal Sports Betting in North Dakota Look Like

With no sports betting bills currently introduced in the North Dakota Lower House or Senate, it’s difficult to say what North Dakota sports betting would look like. The last attempt to legalize sports betting in the state was in 2019, and both bills were voted down quickly.

Regardless, with more and more states turning to sports betting legalization, it’s unlikely that North Dakota will turn their back on the market completely. It’s likely that legislators will need to meet with tribal gaming groups and in-state sports officials to decide on the best way to progress.

Once this is done, gaming will need to be regulated by the North Dakota State Gaming Commission. This will ensure that only the safest websites can offer licensed sportsbooks. The regulators will also be in charge of everything from licensing and fees to enforcing player protection measures. Odds are, the state’s sportsbooks will feature a large amount of betting options. Players can bet on college sports, as well as major American leagues such as the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MMA and much much more. Keep your eye on the news for any new developments regarding the state’s regualtion of sports betting.

In a legal North Dakota sports betting market, gamblers can expect to bet on major professional sports such as the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLS as well as international sports leagues. However, with previous bills being shot down for allowing college sports betting, these bets will likely be blocked.

What are the North Dakota Gambling Laws

According to the North Dakota gambling laws, gambling is defined as risking money or any other thing of value upon the chance happening of an event that the person has no control of. Unlike most states, the law specifically mentions that wagering on sporting events constituted illegal gambling.

For a while, North Dakota adopted a blanket ban on all such games of chance. This was altered in the 1970s when gambling was legalized only for charitable games. In 1992, tribal casinos were allowed to operate in the state though most were restricted to only offering Class I gambling.

In time, North Dakota has gradually progressed towards expanded gambling. Horse racing is also legal now, and 2002 saw the creation of a state lottery. With many states having lottery’s since the 1970s, North Dakota has proven that it is rarely an early adopter of expanded gambling measures.

North Dakota adopts two minimum gambling ages that vary depending on what is bet on. Players must be over 18 years old to participate in the state lottery, bet on charity games, create a DFS account, or to bet on horse races. To bet at casinos, players must be over 21 years old.

What is the Future of Sports Betting in North Dakota?

Unfortunately, we’re not very confident that North Dakota will have a legal sports betting market for a number of years. The two recent sports betting bills were shot down in no time due to the strong opposition from the government, Veterans Affairs Committee, and university campuses.

The bill would have permitted only tribal casinos to host sports books, which may have been appealing to those wanting to collect taxes from the games. Therefore, until North Dakota becomes a legal sport betting state, bettors will need to travel out of state to legal betting markets to place fair and safe bets on sporting events.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you still have questions about gambling in North Dakota and whether there are legal sports betting options available, keep reading. You can find out the answers to some commonly asked questions about North Dakota sports betting below.