BISMARCK — North Dakota lawmakers chose not to send the issue of sports betting to voters on the 2026 general election ballot after a lengthy floor debate on Wednesday.

The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly shot down

House Concurrent Resolution 3002

with a vote of 70-24 over concerns about gambling addiction and treatment of student athletes.

The resolution would have put a measure on the ballot for 2026 to amend the North Dakota Constitution, allowing the state to authorize and regulate betting on professional and college sports. If adopted by voters, all tax revenue from sports betting would have been appropriated for the benefit of K-12 public schools.

The result shows a shift in opinion from the 2023 legislative session, when the House narrowly passed a near-identical resolution only to have it fail in the Senate.

Legislators in support of the resolution said it would provide a sizable revenue stream for the state and allow North Dakota voters to decide whether to legalize sports betting.

Rep. Scott Louser, R-Minot, one of the staunchest supporters of the resolution during Wednesday’s floor session, said during a

committee hearing

last week that the resolution was estimated to bring in $25-$30 million in tax revenue.

“North Dakotans have never had the chance to vote on this themselves,” Louser said Wednesday. “I would ask for a green (yes) vote whether you would vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the general election. Allow your constituents and your voters the opportunity to have their say in their voice.”

The sentiment was backed by Rep. Greg Stemen, R-Fargo.

“There’s a quote out there that says, ‘Be curious, not judgmental,’” Stemen said. “I’m curious how many of the citizens of North Dakota want sports betting. Let’s give them an opportunity.”

Tom Stromme / The Bismarck Tribune

Lawmakers opposed to the resolution said it would lead to abusive and threatening comments toward college athletes and increase the rates of gambling addiction in the state, especially among young men.

Several lawmakers referenced a recent

study

which found that in states where sports betting has been legalized, credit scores decreased, while auto loan delinquency, debt collection amounts and bankruptcy filings have increased.

“This is one of the most concerning things that we’re going to, in my opinion, decide on this session, because it’s real,” said Rep. Alisa Mitskog, D-Wahpeton.

She proceeded to tell a story about a waiter she recently met who told her he was forced to get a second job not to pay off student loans, but to pay off $250,000 in sports betting debts.

Rep. Lawrence Klemin, R-Bismarck, said he was concerned by how easy phones make modern sports betting.

“Members of the assembly, I hold in my hand the new gaming device if we start down this road, this is it,” Klemin said, holding his cellphone up for legislators to see during the floor session. “You can use it in this chamber, probably under your desk without anybody watching you. You can use it at home while you’re sitting on the toilet. Instead of reading the magazine, you could be betting on the games.”

Tom Stromme / The Bismarck Tribune

He said people are now able to bet not just on the outcome of games, but on the outcome of the next free throw or next play in a football game, and questioned how many bets this could lead to one person placing in a single game.

Klemin also expressed concern for how sports betting affects college athletes, adding that statistics show that 1 in 3 high-profile college athletes receive abusive messages from someone with a betting interest.

Several legislators in opposition to the resolution suggested that the public could still initiate a measure to put sports betting on the ballot in 2026 if that was something that mattered to them.

Louser appeared frustrated by the number of lawmakers speaking in opposition to the resolution.

“If it’s really our position as a Legislature that we’re opposed to gaming, I hope we’re going to see a delayed bill to ban all gambling in North Dakota this session, and I sure hope none of us, or our friends or family, bet on Notre Dame and Ohio State on Monday night,” Louser said toward the end of the floor discussion, referencing the college football national championship game.