North Dakota lawmakers advanced legislation yesterday that would put the legalisation of sports betting and online poker on next year’s general election ballot.
House Bill 1234, endorsed by North Dakota’s House Judiciary Committee just last week, was passed by the house with a 56-38 vote. This bill will allow the state to establish a five-member commission to govern and regulate sports wagering within the state.
In a separate vote, the house showed overwhelming support for House Concurrent Resolution 3032 with a 70-24 vote giving voters the final say over the introduction of sports betting in the upcoming 2022 elections.
Speaking of the house vote Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, said:
Online Poker Joins Sports Betting on North Dakota General Election Voter Ballot with a 54-40 vote. Online Poker Joins Sports Betting on North Dakota General Election Voter Ballot Online Poker Joins Sports Betting on North Dakota General Election Voter Ballot Online Poker Joins Sports Betting on North Dakota General Election Voter Ballot“By allowing the people to vote on it, we put this to rest once and for all,”
He also pointed to the fact that had his original attempt at online poker legislation been approved in 2005, the state could have earned as much as $500 million in tax revenue.
A related bill, House Bill 1389, was also passed by the House on Tuesday. This bill defines the framework for online poker regulation.
During Tuesday’s session lawmakers also defeated House Bill 1448 which would have allowed the state’s tribes to negotiate new gaming compacts that would include sports betting.
Online Poker Joins Sports Betting on North Dakota General Election Voter Ballot
Image credit: GPA Photo Archive / CC BY-NC 2.0