North Dakota is one of those states that flies under the radar for a number of different reasons. Not only does it have a small population when compared to states like New York and California, the population that does live in North Dakota is very spread out. Apart from the state capital and a few other decently sized cities, you will find nothing but incredibly small towns all across the state. On top of all of this, North Dakota is absolutely huge, meaning that you may have to drive for hours just to get to a large population center.
North Dakota has always been lenient when it comes to gambling, but the fact of the matter is that most every form of gambling has been illegal in the state since the 1800s. The only reason there has never been a major law enforcement crackdown, however, is that North Dakota, unlike other states, saw its illegal gambling network benefit charities rather than the Mob or other criminal organizations. At many times throughout history, law enforcement in the state has quite literally turned a blind eye to most types of gambling despite their illegality. Even in the 1970s you would find many operators, illegal operators, advertising the gambling they offered freely and openly without any repercussions.
What Are The Best North Dakota Real Money Gambling Sites?
Legal Status of Online Casinos & Gambling — North Dakota
As it stands, there is a lot of online gambling that takes place each year in the state of North Dakota. This gambling, however, is almost exclusively on horse racing as betting on horses online is completely legal and regulated by the state. Though it may seem a bit odd, the state has not yet acted on creating an intrastate online casino network. While this is true, that does not mean that it is illegal for North Dakota residents to play at online casinos so long as they offer their services to residents and are based offshore. The thought of playing at an online casino that is located anywhere other than the US might be one that instill fear, but it is good to know that almost all of these operators are completely and wholly legitimate. In fact, most online casinos available to residents of North Dakota are licensed and regulated by the country in which they are located. This means that your playing experience will be as seamless and flawless as you have come to expect. Something we always say, however, is that you should do your own research to ensure that the casino in question is, in fact, trustworthy.
Something that proves North Dakota’s openness to online gambling is a bill that was passed in 2005 that would make it legal to play online poker within state borders. Despite this bill making some progress, it was eventually abandoned because the Department of Justice did not approve of poker being legal. This is a battle that has similarly been fought in other states to limited success. Since the 2005 bill there has not been much in the way of further efforts to legalize gambling of any sort, but that does not mean North Dakotans are completely out of luck. This is so because there are no laws that exist which make it illegal to gamble for real money online in the state. So long as this is true, residents nad visitors alike can gamble to their heart’s content without fear of being criminally prosecuted. Regardless, online casinos in the state of North Dakota are alive and well and number in the hundreds.
Legal Status of Brick and Mortar Casinos — North Dakota
As was stated above, North Dakota does not facilitate land-based gambling via brick and mortar casinos. Even though this is true, there are still quite a few land-based casinos located throughout the state. These casinos all happen to be located on Native American land and are owned and operated by Native American tribes. The casinos that do exist in the state offer a wide variety of games and are not at all limited in what they can offer players. Compared to many other states with tribal gambling, North Dakota is extremely liberal. While other states will only allow for certain games to be played, North Dakota keeps their hands off and allows for just about every type of game that you can think of.
As far as state-sanctioned casinos are concerned, however, it does not look like North Dakota is going to change its stance anytime soon. In fact, most people feel as though the state is more likely to legalize and regulate online casinos before they legalize and regulate brick and mortar establishments. There is no real evidence supporting either of these beliefs, but the fact is that until legislation is introduced to the state government, North Dakota will not see its gambling laws change in anyway whatsoever. Up to this point, there really has been very little recent push to change the way in which state law is written. Personally, we do not see this changing anytime soon.
North Dakota Online Casinos & Gambling FAQ
- Abbreviation: ND
- State Motto: Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable
- Capital City: Bismarck
- Population Estimate: 755K (47th)
- Website: http://www.nd.gov/
If gambling is illegal, will I get in trouble for playing at North Dakota online casinos?
Despite North Dakota’s “clear” stance on opposing gambling, the fact of the matter is that the state often turns a blind eye to gambling that does not happen within the realm of the law. Knowing this, it is easy to understand that no single resident has ever gotten into trouble for having played at an online casino. This much has been true ever since the first online casino offered its services to the state and will remain true for the foreseeable future.
What is better in North Dakota, online or brick and mortar casinos?
This is something that can only be answered by your personal preferences. There are quite a few extravagant, reputable brick and mortar casinos located throughout the state, but the fact of the matter is that they are not so easy to get to for a number of people. Because North Dakota is so vast, we often see residents turn to online casinos in order to gamble.
How many different online casinos are there in North Dakota?
The total number of online casinos offering their services to residents of North Dakota changes with each passing year, but generally that number seems to be growing rapidly. As it stands, there are hundreds of online casinos offering their services to residents of the state, and each and every one of these casinos is different in what they offer, how they operate, and how you are paid out. This is why it becomes so important that you find out as much information as possible about a given online casino prior to actually playing.