- Gov Doug Burgum and North Dakota’s five Native American Tribes have signed new gaming compacts last week to replace the existing one that is due to expire early next year.
- Among the major items in the new agreements is the lowering of the gambling age at tribal casinos from 21 to 19 years old.
- It also allows the use of credit or debit cards to place bets at reservation casinos.
Gov. Doug Burgum announced last week that he has signed agreements with North Dakota’s North American Indian Tribes that lower the gambling age at tribal casinos from 21 to 19 years old and allow gamblers on reservations to use credit or debit cards to place bets.
North Dakota Gov. signs compacts lowering gambling age, allowing in-reservation sports betting https://t.co/ZJoZkxB3IR
— Yogonet Gaming News (@YogonetNews) December 5, 2022
The compacts also approved online sports betting via mobile phones but only on reservation land and not outside them. The new agreements also state that each of the five North Dakota Native American tribes contributes $25,000 to gambling addiction programs.
In a statement, Burgum said:
Burgum’s signature came after months of meeting between the two parties. The existing Tribal compacts are set to expire early next year, the reason why the parties negotiated for a new one.
Tribes Asked for Exclusive Rights to Online Gambling
The Tribes initially asked for exclusive rights to operate internet gambling and sports betting activities throughout the state. They argued that their casinos, which are among the state’s biggest employers and fund social programs on the reservation, have taken a hit by the rise of Las Vegas-style pull tab machines which the state legalized in 2017.
Since their approval, the number of e-tab machines in North Dakota has increased to approximately 4,500 devices at the 800 sites, surpassing the roughly 3,000 Class III slot machines located at North Dakota’s Tribal Casinos. According to records, North Dakotans wagered a total of $1.75 billion into those machines during the fiscal year 2022.
Under the Tribes’ proposal, internet gambling and sports betting would be run through a system where bets would be funneled through computer servers located on tribal land. However, Burgum rejected the idea last month, stating that a “clear legal path does not exist for the governor to grant such a broad expansion of gaming”.
Other Items in the New Compacts
Burgum added that the newly negotiated compacts address several longstanding issues between the tribes and the city by cutting the red tape and streamlining the regulations of tribal gambling for the benefit of both parties. This includes the clarification that the state will conduct one annual casino inspection at the tribe’s expense. Any additional inspections will be at the state’s expense.
Casinos also remain subject to regular federal inspections and audits, along with submitting quarterly reports to the state. The compacts also limit the cost of state regulatory activity reimbursed by the tribes to no more than $100,000 per year for each tribe, subject to an annual inflation rate.
The new tribal compacts now head to the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs for final approval. The regulatory body has 45 days to approve or reject the signed agreements. Should the Bureau of Indian Affair take no action after that period, the compacts automatically go into effect.
