Online Sports Betting in North Dakota
Published: | Updated:Nicknamed the “Peace Garden State,” North Dakota is part of the Midwestern region of the United States. The 19th official state to join the Union in the late 1800s, ND is the four-least-populated state in America.
First inhabited by indigenous peoples, North Dakota was first colonized by Spaniards as part of Spanish Louisiana in 1762 before being passed over to French colonizers in 1802. As part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, North Dakota then came under US control. It remained relatively isolated until the late 19th century when railroads connected the Dakota territories with the wider United States.
Many settlers flocked to the state in search of land grants as part of the Homestead Act. Statehood followed in 1889, with the Dakota territories splitting into two states based on geography – North and South Dakota.
Recognized as a fast-growing state, North Dakota consistently ranks highly for quality of living in the US, with its unemployment rate being the lowest in the mainland United States.
Legal Sports Betting
North Dakota features a unique sports betting landscape. Sports betting has existed in the state since the tail end of 2021 without the presence of any statutes or laws in the North Dakota Century Code.
Laws to legalize North Dakotan sports betting came into effect in December of 2021. The state’s federally recognized tribal nations are able to offer sports betting on their reservation lands, and several already do so.
It’s not clear if abstaining members of the group are planning to offer some form of sports betting in the future, but that decision resides solely with them. There are no legal hurdles for tribes to navigate first.
Incidentally, 2021 saw North Dakota lawmakers reject a motion to allow a ballot measure to make sports betting officially legal at tribal locations versus just existing as a clause in their compacts. The failure of that motion to pass has practical repercussions for the tribes, who continue to offer on-site sports betting options.
So far, three tribes in North Dakota have opened sportsbooks.
The Dakota Magic Casino, the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and the 4 Bears Casino and Lodge, along with the Sky Dancer Casino & Resort, offer sportsbooks. The first two options are located in Hankinson, North Dakota; the latter two books are in New Town and Belcourt.
Two other facilities have the same eligibilities to offer sports betting as the ones named above but have elected not to do so. That would be the Prairie Knights Casino in Fort Yates, as well as the Spirit Lake Casino in St. Michael. There’s no timeline for either party as of now.
Sports Betting is only available in person on tribal lands.
For those hoping to place online wagers, lawmakers rejected a bill to offer online sports betting. There’s not a similar measure expected nor possible in the state until November 2024 at the earliest.
Interesting Facts about North Dakota
- North Dakota’s state drink is… milk
- North Dakota is home to the geographical center of the United States.
- The state’s nicknames are the “Peace Garden State” and the “Roughrider State”
- Despite having a reputation as being somewhat “out there,” North Dakota actually has the least amount of “forest land” of any state in America.
- North Dakota produces more honey than any other state.
- The population of North Dakota is small, with just over 775,000 people.
- It is prohibited for bars to serve both beer and pretzels at the same time.
- You can get in trouble for wearing a hat while dancing at any public event.
Popular Sports & Teams in North Dakota
North Dakota is one of five US states with fewer than 1,000,000 total residents. Consequently, there are no major professional sports teams in the state, as the prospects for home games would be sparse (at best). College and high school teams remain popular locally, but North Dakotans must look beyond state lines to find pro teams for their fandom. In many cases, the closest geographic option is in Minnesota.
NFL: The Minnesota Vikings
NBA: The Minnesota Timberwolves
MLB: The Minnesota Twins
NHL: The Minnesota Wild or The Winnipeg Jets
NCAA: North Dakota State and University of North Dakota
Basketball is quite popular on a local level in North Dakota, but the state’s undeniable truth is that hockey reigns supreme. The Fighting Hawks from the University of North Dakota are probably the most popular team in the state, capturing the NCAA D1 hockey championship multiple times, including as recently as 2016.
Famous Athletes
- Roger Maris: An iconic MLB player best known for setting the AL/MLB single season-record for home runs (61) in 1961. The record remained unbroken in the MLB until 1998 and remained the AL record until 2022.
- Phil Jackson: Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA. He won two NBA championships (1970, 1973) and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. His accolades as a coach are greater – an 11x NBA champion and the 1996 NBA Coach of the Year. Jackson is generally regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time.
- Andy Hampsten: Hampsten is an American former professional road bicycle racer who won the 1988 Giro d’Italia and the Alpe d’Huez stage of the 1992 Tour de France.
- Cliff Purpur: Known as “Fido,” Purpur was the first-ever NHL player from the state of North Dakota. At only 5’5″ and 155 lbs, he had a short and uneventful NHL career but spent six seasons as the head coach fro North Dakota in collegiate hockey.
- Amy Ruley: A member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Ruley has the greatest number of victories of any women’s coach at North Dakota State University. She accumulated 671 wins as the HC, leading the Bison to 5 NCAA D2 national championships. She also was a member of the first-ever women’s varsity basketball program at Purdue University, scoring the program’s first-ever points.
- Carson Wentz: A winner of 2 consecutive NCAA FCS championships as the starting quarterback for North Dakota State, Wentz is the highest-drafted FCS player of all time (#2 overall). A Super Bowl champion, 1x Pro Bowler, and second-team All-Pro, Wentz has thrown for 150 touchdown passes and 22,000+ yards in his career.
Responsible Gambling
If gambling is causing a problem in your life, we encourage you to ask questions, gather information and conduct research on the type of help that is most appropriate for your situation. This information is intended to be a starting point—it is not a complete list of information or services. You can call the contact for the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER or chat: www.1800gamblerchat.org.
It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to offer support, resources, and referrals to anyone affected by problem gambling. Want to learn more about online casinos and sports gambling? Follow our Online Gamblers Academy and learn how to have fun responsibly!
