North Dakota Passes HCR 3002 to the Senate

North Dakota is proceeding with its efforts to make commercial sports betting legal. Currently, only tribal companies are allowed to offer sports wagering products in the state.

North Dakota Seeks to Legalize Commercial Sports Betting

A few days ago, Fargo representative Greg Stemen submitted House Concurrent Resolution 3002 to the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing. The bill’s purpose is to introduce an amendment to section 25 of article 11 of North Dakota’s Constitution.

As a result, the measure, which would have to be first approved by the Senate and the people before becoming a reality, would see the launch of commercial sports betting in the state. While the House Judiciary Committee does not seem to favor the measure, the Senate and the people of North Dakota will be the ones with the final word.

Following the House hearing, the bill has now been submitted to the Senate. If approved, it would be subjected to a public vote before eventually passing. If the Senate Greenlights the measure, the people of North Dakota can expect to see it on the ballot for the 2024 general election.

The Measure Has Many Supporters but Some Still Oppose It

House Concurrent Resolution 3002 would see North Dakota become one of the states with a regulated commercial sports betting market. Currently, the measure has the support of a total of 12 representatives – 11 Republicans and 1 Democrat.

This is the latest attempt to legalize commercial sports betting in the Peace Garden State, following several failures in prior years. For example, North Dakota tried to legalize sports betting in 2019 and 2021 but both attempts did not manage to go far.

It is yet to be seen if this attempt would be different from earlier ones. According to Stemen, who proposed the measure, it is crucial to introduce a legal and regulated form of wagering. He noted that people are already playing with unlicensed operators that undermine taxes and do not provide consumer protections.

Stemen warned that the black market would continue flourishing if a legal and regulated alternative is not introduced. In addition, the proponent of commercial betting said that taxes from legal sports betting would help North Dakota a lot. Analysts believe that legal sports betting may contribute up to $3.5 million to the state in the form of tax revenue.

While Stemen’s claims make sense to some, others continue to actively oppose the legalization of sports betting as it may lead to an increase in problem gambling rates and encourage fraud in pro sports.