In North Dakota, state Rep. Jim Kasper recently introduced House Concurrent Resolution 3012, which would allow online poker. If lawmakers approve the measure, voters would see the constitutional amendment on the 2022 general election ballot. A poker enthusiast, Kasper commented, “The country is just going more and more into gaming online. Let’s not leave North Dakota as one of the few states that doesn’t allow it.” The bill has bipartisan sponsorship, he said.
In 2005, Kasper introduced a measure that also would have legalized online poker in the state through a constitutional amendment.” The poker industry worldwide was watching my bill,” he said. It passed the House but was rejected in the Senate, 43-3.
Kasper’s legislation does not spell out how online poker would be taxed or regulated. He said if voters approve the measure, the legislature would establish a committee in 2023 to work out the details. “There would be a lot of work that goes into it,” Kasper said.
It’s also not clear how much income online poker would generate. In 2005, an industry analysis estimated it would bring in about $500 million in annual taxes, with 80 percent directed to reducing property taxes. At the time annual property taxes averaged about $400 million.
