Guide to Online Casinos in North Dakota: The Best North Dakota Casino Sites for 2024
By John Isaac,Editor at online-gambling.com
John Isaac
Editor at online-gambling.com
| Online Casinos | Legal Since: |
|---|---|
| Online Slots | Illegal |
| Online Roulette | Illegal |
| Online Blackjack | Illegal |
| Live Casino | Illegal |
The presence of North Dakota online casinos has not yet been felt. But the change is on the horizon. With commercial interests knocking at the door, the state legislature has been debating the online casino issue on and off for the past several years. The advantages to allowing an influx of privately held casino brands to set up shop in the Peace Garden State would be enormous. First of all the raising of tax revenues would be in the 9-digit range per annum, and the influx of business interests for establishing the necessary infrastructure would bring great financial benefits to local workers and business owners. Throughout the rest of this article we will present both sides of the ongoing argument and explore this states relationship and history with gambling.
- We use trusted sources such as: KVRR: North Dakota and the AP News: North Dakota to stay on top of all industry related news and developments.
- We aren’t just experts in sports betting, we have dedicated teams across the gambling industry including for casino games such as roulette and have created an online blackjack guide.
- We keep on top of any changes to the law by closely following the movements of the North Dakota State Legislature and the North Dakota: FindLaw legal overview.
Available Casino Games in North Dakota
The laws regarding gambling in North Dakota are wide-reaching, but do present some irregulairties and ambiguity. The wording in the law essentially prohibits unlicensed gambling without making reference to online players. Some lawmakers interpret this to mean that access to online casinos is in effect illegal. Whilst many thousands of residents across the state clearly interpret this in a different sense, and the fact that there are many hundreds of casinos accessible via an inter-state online casino network, we thought we would discuss this further. Along with the tribal casino locations sparsely populated throughout the Peace Garden State, residents here have a whole plethora of gaming options. Below we will get into the details of the most popular casino games available to residents of North Dakota.
- Blackjack: an ever-popular card game that is bet on heavily throughout North Dakota.
- Roulette: the game of chance played at tables online or in tribal locations can be enjoyed in the EU and USA format.
- Slot: the machines have been capturing American gambling hearts for the best part of a century.
- Craps: the classic dice rolling game of chance is enjoyed at many tables throughout the state.
- Poker: many variants of the card game are played online and at the tribal locations.
Biggest State Land-Based Casinos
Due to the states acceptance of the Tribal Gaming Act, the local communities of tribal settlers were given the right to establish casinos within their respective territories and keep a large portion of the profits. The tax breaks awarded to these casinos are huge, and many of the richest individuals in North Dakota’s tribal communities are in fact casino owners. Commercial interests have been lobbying lawmakers of North Dakota for several years trying to get a slice of the pie, but so far their efforts have been futile, and the land-based casino market in this territory remains in complete control of the tribal communities. Below we have listed some of the biggest and best casinos in the Peace Garden State.
- 4 Bears Casino & Lodge: 202 Frontage Rd, New Town, ND 58763
- Prairie Knights Casino & Resort: 7932 ND-24, Fort Yates, ND 58538
- Spirit Lake Casino & Resort: 7889 ND-57, St Michael, ND 58370
- Grand Treasure Casino: 4418 147th Ave NW, Williston, ND 58801
- Sky Dancer Casino & Resort: 3965 Sky Dancer Way NE, Belcourt, ND 58316
History of Casino Gambling in North Dakota
In order to truly understand the reasoning for the nuances in North Dakota gambling laws, it is important to grasp the historical context the online casino debate is all staged within. Nothing is isolated when it comes to gambling laws, one slight change to the law could have catastrophic implications, whether it be for the monopoly currently controlled by tribal casino owners, or the local state legislature who will have to deal with a newly formed industry going un-checked and un-regulated. There have been some major milestones that have led this state down the current path it is taking, and below we will get into the key moments in North Dakota gambling journey.
| Year | Event | |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | North Dakota decides to take a more lenient approach on games of chance. In an effort to boost the ability for charitable organizations to raise funds through casino style events, a ban is lifted and games can be individually licensed under the conditions of a fundraising event. | |
| 1987 | The previous law change 10 years ago is amended, offering a wider reach. The new law includes poker into its licensing umbrella. There are stringent conditions attached however: gamblers can only win a maximum of $2,500. | |
| 1992 | The state signs an agreement with local tribal casino entrepreneurs allowing the contruction of five land-based casinos on Native reservation lands. The limit is quickly extended and today there are more than 20 locations throughout the state. | |
| 2017 | The state legislature is debating a bill for the introduction of 6 commercial land-based casinos. Due to the fact that no tax revenues are received from tribal casinos, the introduction of commercial casinos is widely supported, however the House Judiciary Committee recommends that the bill does not pass, and it is subsequently defeated. | |
| 2019 | Lawmakers introduce a sports betting bill to the house, this is currently being deliberated over and the pros and cons are being argued. There does appear to be a consensus that gambling is becoming less of an ethical issue and legalizing it is merely a formality at this stage due to the vast amounts of residents who already actively engage in online gambling. |
Casino Gambling Age in North Dakota
Tribal reservation casinos in the territory of North Dakota all operate a strict policy of 21 years and over to enter their casino. The enforcement of this law is taken very seriously, and you’ll most likely be challenged for I.D. confirming your age upon arrival if you are a younger looking person. With this in mind, make sure that if you’re planning to pay one of these locations a visit, you ensure to take the necessary documents with you. Below we’ll discuss some of the notable vices available to residents of North Dakota, and the attached age restriction limitations to them.
-
Online Casino AgeOnline casinos are not legal in North Dakota. However, the age to access many “off-shore” providers is 21 years old, and in some cases 18 years old.
-
Alcohol AgeTo drink alcohol in North Dakota, or anywhere in the United States for that matter, you’ll need to be 21 years old or over.
-
Weed AgeCannabis in North Dakota is illegal for recreational purposes but has been legalized for medicinal use to anyone with a prescription.
Responsible Gambling and Addiction Prevention
One of the key considerations of any change to the legal framework of gambling within a territory has to be the societal impact. The potential for harm, and the risk to vulnerable individuals remains a primary concern of lawmakers when debating the introduction of progressive online casino laws. Making these platforms more accessible does not necessarily increase the potential for harm, since they are already accessible via “off-shore” hosted platforms on the internet. However, there is a moral question, and reliance on the operators to implement effective responsible gambling processes. North Dakota will undoubtedly install a legal framework soon, and with that will come the agencies and institutions that are equip to deal with problem gambling.
Can I Play Without Deposit?
Playing at a casino that doesn’t even ask for a deposit is not something that you will come across very often on your journey through the online gambling ecosystem. However, every so often there are newcomers to the regulated markets that blow away all the competition when it comes to the welcome offer. The advantage of playing at online casinos within a regulated market is the abundance of brands that pop-up, compete against one-another and battle to win your business by giving out huge welcome bonuses. Once North Dakota decides to allow the commercial casino brands into their territory, keep a lookout for some fantastic no-deposit welcome offers.
Upcoming Casino Regulation and Expected Changes
There are many changes on the horizon for residents of North Dakota. The legal framework as it currently is does not accommodate online casinos to be hosted within the Peace Garden State. However, the top gambling sites have been waiting to be legalized for a while now, and the issue is being hotly debated in the state legislature. We can be certain that resistance to this change is dying out, and it won’t be long until state licensed online casinos emerge in North Dakota.
Casino Guides for Nearby States