Committee clears taprooms to be eligible hosts for charitable gaming sites

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to recommend approval of Senate Bill 2334, which would expand the definition of "alcoholic beverage establishment" for purposes of charitable gaming site authorization to specifically include brewery taprooms licensed under the Century Code.

Senator Justin Gerhardt, sponsor of SB 2334, said the bill simply closes an unintended gap: taprooms are licensed separately and the code language that defines "alcoholic beverage establishment" did not explicitly list the taproom licensing section. "Currently, there are nine licensed taprooms in the state," Gerhardt said; he urged the committee to make the statutory definition explicit so taprooms can be used as sites where charitable organizations conduct authorized gaming.

David Dumas, owner of Gideon’s Brewing Company in Bismarck, testified in support, describing charitable uses already run from taprooms and saying opening eligibility to taprooms would not dramatically increase numbers because establishing a taproom is capital intensive. "Having the pull tab machines in our tap room is just another way for us and our customers to give back to the local community," Dumas said.

Deb McDaniel, director of the Gaming Division, told the committee the Attorney General’s Office would coordinate with the Tax Commissioner’s office to identify brewery taprooms and that, if the law changed, charitable organizations could select a taproom as a site; she emphasized that the charitable organization — not the taproom operator — conducts the gaming.

After discussion the committee voted to advance SB 2334 with a due-pass recommendation.