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Administrative Rules Committee narrows lottery mobile-pay rule after debate on credit-card access
Summary
The committee approved most North Dakota Lottery rule changes — including swapping in a new $5 "Millionaire for Life" game — but amended language to explicitly bar retail acceptance of credit cards for lottery purchases after members raised concerns about gambling harms and emergency-rule authority.
The Administrative Rules Committee on a voice and roll-call vote adopted the North Dakota Lottery’s package of rule changes with a targeted amendment to prohibit retail credit-card acceptance for lottery tickets. The changes, presented by Lottery Director Thomas Lawler, included emergency rules tied to a system conversion and the replacement of the Lucky for Life game with a $5 Millionaire for Life offering.
Lawler said the Lottery followed required notice and advisory‑commission review and described the technical and timing justifications for emergency rules implemented for a September system conversion. He also told the committee that the Lottery has instructed its vendor not to allow credit cards at retail terminals: “I do not have any concerns over that,” he said during questioning about the new game and the points structure.
Several committee members questioned whether the emergency‑rule process could be used to implement substantive changes before committee review. Representative Ruby asked whether emergency rules allowed agencies to act first and brief the committee later; Lawler and staff explained the statutory authority that permits emergency action by the Attorney General’s office in some cases but noted that permanent rules must still come before the committee.
The most contested language concerned mobile payment services and whether those provisions could enable credit‑card transactions at retail terminals—raising gambling‑addiction concerns. Representative Steiner said he was wary that an emergency rule could be used to entrench changes before the Legislature had a chance to review them: “I’m very hesitant to say it’s not a big deal that somebody just says, well, we got an emergency.”
After discussion the committee adopted an amendment (moved by Senator Rohrs) to insert “credit card” into the list of payment forms retailers may not accept for ticket sales at retail terminals. The clerk conducted a roll call and the motion passed; the transcript records the outcome as "Motion carries." Lawler indicated the Lottery supported that clarified language.
Most other Lottery rule changes were allowed to proceed as submitted, including game changes and updates to player‑club points; committee members asked for follow‑up language or tabling only when members requested explicit statements in rules about credit‑card exclusion at retail terminals.
What’s next: The amendment restricting in‑store credit‑card acceptance is now part of the rule package as adopted by the committee. Any statutory changes affecting online iLottery credit‑card access would require future legislation; Lawler told the committee that North Dakota has allowed credit‑card purchases on its iLottery platform for years, subject to online deposit and wager limits.
