North Dakota faces several hearings

North Dakota’s legislators are discussing the potential expansion of the casino industry statewide during this week’s hearings.

US.- The North Dakota House Judiciary Committee will hold another hearing on potential casino industry expansion statewide. This week, legislators are discussing several key bills to regulate several sectors, including the legal gaming businesses.

Today the committee is reviewing the House Concurrent Resolution 3033, proposed by House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, which was rejected with a “do not pass” recommendation by a 13-2 vote last Wednesday. Carlson’s bill pretends to legalise six new state-owned casinos in North Dakota.

Whilst the first bill proposed that casinos would be installed at least 20 miles away from Native American reservations and 5 miles away from cities, where over than 5,000 people live, the latest update doesn’t limit private-owned casinos and would allow the construction anywhere in the state.

The Resolution 3033 could add a constitutional amendment by next year, if the State’s House Judiciary Committee passes it this week. However, the bill is facing strict scrutiny as the North Dakota’s GOP Governor Doug Burgum expressed his disagreement with the regulation. The casino expansion has also been rejected by the American Indian Tribe due to a possible negative effect on their incomes.