Are we sure we want all this gambling in North Dakota?

MINOT — Gambling is quickly becoming a big part of life in North Dakota.

The state legislature authorized the use of electronic pull tab machines — effectively slot machines, in practice — and that has proved wildly popular with the public. So much so that e-tab machines are now

a multi-billion-dollar industry in our state,

and the charities and gaming interests are constantly lobbying to allow more gambling at more locations.

But it’s not just charitable gaming that is pushing the expansion of gambling here. The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, which operates a gambling enterprise on its reservation,

is trying to build an off-reservation casino near Grand Forks.

Meanwhile, North Dakota voters are currently being polled about a possible ballot measure that

would legalize mobile sports betting

, following similar proposals that were defeated during the legislative session.

Yet there are signs that this rapid expansion of gambling in North Dakota is having a negative impact.

Gambling interests already have a lot of clout in the legislature. Mike Motschenbacher, the executive director of the North Dakota Gaming Alliance, which lobbies on behalf of the charitable gaming industry,

is literally an elected member of the state House of Representatives.

Charitable gaming supposedly funds, well, charities and other public-spirited organizations. One of the groups capitalizing on the windfall from electronic pull tabs in recent years is youth sports organizations, from golf and baseball to wrestling and hockey. Some of these youth sports groups are even

purchasing venues, such as bars,

 to safeguard their gaming sites.

Think about that. Youth sports groups are buying bars so they can operate slot machines while parents wonder why it’s not getting any cheaper for their kids to play hockey.

And then there’s the corruption.

In 2023, Attorney General Drew Wrigley

issued an enforcement action

driving a Bismarck-based gambling industry executive out of his own company for using a charity as a front to procure lucrative new sites for gaming operations. In 2024, Wrigley issued a similar action against a Mandan bar

for trying to illegally divert gambling revenues.

There is also a rising tide of incidents demonstrating that charitable gaming groups may not be prepared to handle the influx of cash they’re receiving.

Earlier this year, a gambling employee for the West Fargo Hockey Association

was charged with stealing approximately $68,000.

Back in 2019, another West Fargo Hockey employee

was charged with stealing more than $6,000.

Meanwhile, in Minot, reports from

KMOT

and

KXMC

indicate that law enforcement authorities are investigating the alleged theft of at least $160,000 from the Souris Valley Bowmen. How does an archery club have that kind of cash to steal? It’s notable that their board

includes a gaming manager.

But none of this touches on what may be the most problematic impact of the rise of gambling in North Dakota, which is gambling addiction.

A couple years ago, the owner of a small-town bar in a town of about 1,000 people told me the e-tab machines operating in his business were producing upwards of $45,000 per weekend in revenue.

Are we sure the people wagering that money can afford to lose it?

Are we sure we want all this gambling in North Dakota?