A growing number of North Dakota charities are purchasing bars and restaurants outright in order to secure permanent locations for electronic pull tab machines, rather than competing each year for limited space. With roughly 340 charitable organizations competing for only 940 available e-tab sites statewide, placements have become highly competitive in some markets, and the North Dakota Gaming Alliance has identified 22 charities now tied to business ownership, about 2 percent of all gaming-dependent charities in the state.

Charitable gaming remains a significant revenue source for North Dakota nonprofits, generating an estimated $2.5 billion in gross proceeds last year, with roughly $230 million of that from e-tabs alone. State lawmakers are currently reviewing whether this trend calls for updated legislation.

This is a developing issue for the hospitality industry, and NDHA is continuing to monitor it as the legislative and regulatory conversation evolves. For more background, see this explainer from KFYR-TV and this opinion column from The Forum.

NRA Urges Congress to Preserve Market for Hemp-Derived THC Beverages 

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp containing no more than 0.3% delta 9 THC, which allowed a market for low-dose hemp-derived THC beverages to develop on restaurant and bar menus. The 2025 Farm Bill reversed course, adding new restrictions on certain hemp-derived THC products, including beverages, and without further action from Congress, these beverages will be banned nationwide on November 12, 2026. The National Restaurant Association is asking Congress to delay the ban and give policymakers time to develop a long-term regulatory framework, one that would include age verification requirements, production and quality standards, clear labeling and dosing disclosures, and impairment guidelines for safe service alongside alcohol. The stakes are meaningful for operators: restaurants already run on thin margins, with a median fullservice pre-tax margin of just 2.8% in 2024, and hemp-derived THC beverages represent a potential $1.6 billion annual on-premises market. Currently 5% of restaurants that serve alcohol offer these beverages, and another 26% say they would be interested once there is a clear regulatory framework in place. An abrupt federal ban would eliminate this emerging revenue stream and create operational disruption, especially for operators doing business across multiple states with inconsistent rules. Read more at restaurant.org.