BISMARCK — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has rejected a request by the state’s Native American tribes for exclusive rights to host sports betting and online gambling, potentially a multimillion-dollar industry.

Burgum said on Wednesday, Nov. 2, he doesn’t believe there’s a “clear legal path” for him to unilaterally expand North Dakota’s gambling laws to allow the five tribes to host internet betting across the state.

The state’s tribes, operating under state gambling compacts signed in 1992 that will expire at the end of the year, petitioned Burgum to allow them exclusive rights to the online betting market to make up for tribal casino revenue lost due to the legalization of electronic pull tab machines.

Five years after the Republican-led legislature authorized the slot-machine-like devices in 2017, about 4,500 have popped up at 800 sites around the state, according to Burgum’s news release.

Though he denied the tribes’ main plea, Burgum backed their request to lower the legal gambling age from 21 to 19 at casinos on the five reservations. The governor also endorsed allowing debit and credit cards to be used for wagering. Online gambling and sports betting would be allowed within the confines of each reservation.

Burgum submitted the five compacts to Legislative Management for review, though the panel of leading lawmakers cannot alter the agreements, said Legislative Council Director John Bjornson. After the committee’s review, the compacts could be signed by the governor and tribal representatives.

The agreements would then be sent to the U.S. Department of the Interior for final approval.

This is a developing story. Check back for details.