North Dakota Statewide Rule

North Dakota Charitable Gaming and Blackjack Licensing

Significant RestrictionsApplies statewide across North Dakota (2026)

Key Facts

Governing law: N.D.C.C. ch. 53-06.1, Games of Chance
Licensing agency: Attorney General's Gaming Division
Annual license fee: $175 per city or county site
Electronic pull tab devices: Capped at 10 per site
Twenty-one wager range: $3 minimum to $25 maximum
Pull tab price cap: $2 per tab, $500 top prize
Gaming fraud penalty: Class A misdemeanor to class C felony

Last verified: August 21, 2026

Summary

North Dakota's Attorney General licenses every charitable gambling operation under N.D.C.C. ch. 53-06.1: bingo, raffles, pull tabs, electronic pull tab devices, and even blackjack (called twenty-one) played for cash in bars and clubs. Eligible nonprofits pay a $175 annual license fee per city or county, cap electronic pull tab devices at ten per site, and can run twenty-one tables with wagers up to $25, all only during legal alcohol-service hours.

2. An eligible organization shall apply for a license to conduct only bingo, electronic quick shot bingo, raffles, calcuttas, pull tabs, punchboards, twenty-one, paddlewheels, poker, or sports pools by: a. First securing approval for a site authorization from the governing body of the city or county in which the proposed site is located. The approved authorization must be recorded on a site authorization form that is to accompany the license application to the attorney general for final approval. ... b. Annually applying for a license from the attorney general before July first on a form prescribed by the attorney general and remitting a one hundred seventy-five dollar license fee for each city or county that approves a site authorization. The attorney general shall deposit twenty-five dollars of this fee into the charitable gaming technology fund under section 53-06.1-12.4. ... The attorney general may deny issuance of a license or deny renewal of a license to an eligible organization that has obtained approval of site authorization under subdivision a, if the organization or site is not in compliance with applicable laws and rules.

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Full Breakdown

North Dakota's Century Code chapter 53-06.1 lets bona fide nonprofits, veterans, charitable, educational, religious, fraternal, civic-and-service, public safety, and public-spirited groups active in the state at least two years, run games of chance for their own benefit, and the Attorney General's Gaming Division is the sole state licensor (N.D.C.C. § 53-06.1-03(2)). An organization first gets a site authorization from the city or county governing body, then applies to the Attorney General annually before July 1 with a $175 fee per authorized city or county; $25 of every fee funds the charitable gaming technology fund. The license covers bingo, electronic quick shot bingo, raffles, calcuttas, pull tabs, punchboards, twenty-one, paddlewheels, poker, and sports pools, all conducted only during the hours local rules allow alcohol service, since most sites are bars, VFW halls, and clubs.

Twenty-one, North Dakota's charitable blackjack, is capped at a $3 minimum and $25 maximum wager in $1 increments, two hands per player, and any site betting over $2 a hand must install Attorney-General-approved video surveillance unless its quarterly twenty-one proceeds average under $10,000 (§ 53-06.1-10). Pull tabs and punchboards sell for no more than $2 each with a $500 top-tier prize (§ 53-06.1-08), and electronic pull tab devices, screens that display the pull tab electronically and pay out only credit vouchers, never cash directly, are capped at ten per site and restricted to a 21-and-over area (§ 53-06.1-08.2, § 53-06.1-03(3)(c)-(e)).

The Attorney General can inspect any gaming site or equipment, audit an organization's books, and suspend, deny, or revoke a license or site authorization for noncompliance (§ 53-06.1-15.1).

Violations & Penalties

Falsifying gaming records or breaking chapter 53-06.1 or any license term is a class A misdemeanor that forfeits the license (§ 53-06.1-16(1)). Using bogus chips, marked pull tabs, or a cheating device is a class A misdemeanor unless the gain exceeds $500, making it a class C felony, and any fraud scheme touching pull tabs, twenty-one, paddlewheels, or bingo is automatically a class C felony regardless of amount (§ 53-06.1-16(2)). The Attorney General levies civil fines from $25 up to 2% of quarterly gross proceeds or $5,000 (§ 53-06.1-15.1(10)).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is blackjack legal in North Dakota bars?

Yes: twenty-one is one of the games licensed under N.D.C.C. ch. 53-06.1, and it's commonly run by nonprofits at bars and clubs statewide. Wagers run $3 to $25 in $1 increments, a player may play at most two hands at once, and any table taking bets over $2 must have Attorney-General-approved video surveillance unless the site's quarterly twenty-one proceeds average under $10,000.

How many electronic pull tab machines can a bar have?

State law caps electronic pull tab devices at ten per authorized site (N.D.C.C. § 53-06.1-03(3)(e)). Each device displays a pull tab electronically and can only pay out a credit voucher, it cannot dispense cash, coins, or tokens directly, and the machines must sit in a designated area limited to patrons twenty-one or older.

Who licenses charitable gaming organizations in North Dakota?

The North Dakota Attorney General's Gaming Division licenses every organization that runs bingo, pull tabs, twenty-one, raffles, and the state's other games of chance under N.D.C.C. § 53-06.1-03. Nonprofits first secure a site authorization from the host city or county, then apply to the Attorney General annually with a $175 fee for each city or county where they operate.

What's the maximum prize on a North Dakota pull tab?

A single pull tab or punchboard punch can sell for no more than $2, and the top-tier prize on any one ticket or punch is capped at $500 under N.D.C.C. § 53-06.1-08. Games are sold as commingled deals, and once a deal is in play it can't be closed out until every top-tier winning tab has been redeemed.

What happens if someone cheats at a licensed charitable game?

Using marked cards, bogus chips, tampered pull tabs, or a cheating scheme is a class A misdemeanor, but if the scheme touches pull tabs, twenty-one, paddlewheels, or bingo, it's automatically a class C felony no matter how much was won, and a conviction also forfeits the organization's gaming license (N.D.C.C. § 53-06.1-16).

Sources

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