North Dakota: proposal to put sports betting on ballot in 2022 moves forward

The House Judiciary Committee green-lighted a bill that would allow voters to decided whether to legalize sports betting in North Dakota in 2022.

Rep. Michael Howe sponsored the resolution and says legalizing betting will lessen the chances of corruption in sports, KXNET reports.

If it became law, voters could decide whether to amend the constitution, which currently only allows for “charitable gaming,” to include sports bets.

"Legalized sports wagering will actually make it harder to fix games, and once legalized, sports wagering will be monitored, and any irregular activity will be easily detected. It is easier to fix games in an un-monitored environment in which money flows under the radar. The only way to legalize this is to put this to a vote of the people in North Dakota. I feel the majority of North Dakotans want this, and if you disagree we have one way to find out — at the ballot box," Howe said.

The bill would have to be passed by both chambers and signed by the governor before voters could decide on election day. So far, 18 states plus D.C. have legalized sports betting, and four more have passed bills that have not yet taken effect.