Sports betting measure dies in North Dakota Senate; issue won’t go to voters

BISMARCK — Voters will not be getting a poll measure from the Legislature on whether or not to legalize sports activities betting in North Dakota.

The state Senate on Monday killed Home Concurrent Decision

3002

by Rep. Greg. Stemen, R-Fargo, in a 16-30 vote. The measure would have required the Legislature to authorize sports activities betting in North Dakota, with licensing and regulation by the state.

The Home of Representatives in January had handed the measure 49-44. If in the end accredited by the Legislature, the measure would have gone on the November 2024 basic election poll to be determined by voters.

Supporters touted the measure as an effort to control and produce oversight and shopper protections to sports activities betting, which is already occurring in North Dakota, technically illegally.

The Senate final month killed Senate Judiciary Committee amendments to the decision that may have allowed however not required the Legislature to authorize sports activities betting, and just for skilled sports activities. The Home in January had defeated the identical amendments.

Some senators who opposed the measure seen voting for the decision as an endorsement of playing.

“I simply assume that playing in North Dakota has mushroomed to the purpose the place I’ve on no account, form or kind a want to increase it,” stated Sen. David Rust, R-Tioga.

Lawmakers this session have been grappling with the proliferation of digital pull tab machines since 2018.

Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, stated sports activities betting primarily makes use of “our athletes as human commodities” for for-profit playing.

Supporters stated voters ought to resolve the difficulty. Sen. Scott Meyer, R-Grand Forks, stated the measure just isn’t an enlargement or allowance of sports activities betting, however an effort to control and supply shopper protections for what’s already occurring in North Dakota.

“Doing nothing is not going to defend people who want the assistance,” Meyer advised the Senate.

The Senate in February killed a

invoice

for a proposed sports activities betting activity power to develop an implementation plan for on-line sports activities betting and regulation, in addition to any associated laws.

As many as 138,000 North Dakotans are betting over $300 million yearly, together with $30 million in revenues to offshore betting books, based on American Gaming Affiliation knowledge Stemen has cited.

The U.S. Supreme Court docket in 2018

struck down

a 1992 federal regulation that stopped states from authorizing sports activities betting. Thirty-five states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico authorize some type of sports activities betting.

A

related measure

to HCR 3002 handed the North Dakota Home in 2021 however failed narrowly, twice, within the Senate. Comparable payments fell quick in 2019.

Tribal-state

agreements

enable on-line sports activities betting inside bodily boundaries of American Indian reservations sharing geography with North Dakota.