There have been many states looking to legalize sports betting at the beginning of 2021, but North Dakota was rarely included on that list. That has changed recently, and now it looks like sports betting is a real possibility in the Flickertail State.
One of the biggest reasons that North Dakota is exploring the sports betting industry is because its neighbor to the south has done the same thing. South Dakota has legalized sports betting as of November 2020, but a bet has not been placed in the state.
Without any professional sports teams in the state of North Dakota, it is unclear how popular sports betting would be in the state. There are a number of popular collegiate teams in the state, including the North Dakota State football team.
These discussions are still in the preliminary stage, but there is a chance that sports betting could be on the ballots as early as November 2022. That would leave the final decision up to the voters, but there is a belief that they support this measure.
iGaming Also a Possibility
Not only are lawmakers in North Dakota looking to legalize sports betting, but they are also interested in allowing online casino gaming as well. There are only a handful of states that currently allow online casino gaming or online poker, but North Dakota could soon be joining that list.
A pair of bills were recently introduced in the North Dakota House of Representatives, and they will now be sent to committee for a closer look. There will likely be some amendments made, but it appears that iGaming has some serious support in North Dakota.
South Dakota Still Not Launched
Even though South Dakota voters agreed to a sports betting referendum in November 2020, the state has yet to launch sports betting. Lawmakers in the state must still come up with regulations to govern the industry, and that has not happened at this time.
One of the biggest hold-ups is the possibility of offering online sports betting in the state. Some lawmakers are opposed to this notion, which would limit all sports betting options to the casinos in Deadwood.
This would also create a huge limit on the growth of the sports betting industry in South Dakota, which would hurt the town and the state that is looking for a new revenue source.
West Still Wide Open
The sports betting industry in the United States has taken off since 2018, but that hasn’t been the case in the Western portion of the United States. In 2019 and 2020, it was the Midwest Region that saw the most growth in the country.
The Northeast portion of the United States is expected to take a huge jump in 2021, and things are starting to progress in the south. That leaves the Western portion of the US, and there hasn’t been much movement at this time.
Colorado launched sports betting on May 1, and that state has posted some impressive numbers since that time. If either one of the Dakotas were able to launch sports betting, it could lead to huge numbers in both handle and betting revenue.
