Currently, in the state of North Carolina, it is only retail sports betting that is legal – unfortunately, this hasn’t reached online sports betting just yet. However, there have been changes to the North Carolina gambling laws proposed, that would legalize online sportsbooks and sports betting sites. In early November, The House Commerce Committee passed Senate Bill 688. However, it will need to go through at least three other House Committees before making its way to the House floor. Hopefully, this will mean that something comes of it within 2022. Until then, mobile sports wagering will have to wait – as will the additional sports betting revenue that it will likely enjoy.
Online Sports Betting: Legal in North Carolina
Currently, the only way to enjoy legal sports betting in North Carolina is via two casinos. Other forms of North Carolina sports betting have not yet been legalised. However, in the second half of 2021, the North Carolina Senate passed sports betting bill SB688 which would make online sports betting legal. Unfortunately, this still faces a very difficult path into the North Carolina House, where it keeps stalling. There is hope that it will move forward as the year 2022 progresses.
Support of Legal Online Sports Betting in North Carolina
There is plenty of support for North Carolina sports betting – particularly mobile sports betting as it would allow North Carolina sports bettors to bet sports bets 24/7, from wherever they are in the state. They would no longer need to make the arduous journey to one of the few casinos – or cross state borders… or, even worse, resort to illegal offshore sports betting sites.
This is hugely appealing to North Carolina sports betting fans as there are only 2 places to legally place bets right now – Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River.
Both Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River and Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort are located in the Southwestern corner of NC. This is a good three-hour commute from Charlotte – and even further from Greensboro. SImply not convenient for most.
If and when legalization does go through, then every North Carolina sportsbook will be regulated and licensed by the North Carolina Lottery Commission, which means that your financial and personal data will be protected – unlike at offshore sports betting sites.
NC Sports Betting Legislation 2021-22
7th April 2021: The SB 688 Senate Bill was filed, which would allow legal sports betting online and at North Carolina’s major sporting facilities. There would be up to 12 online wagering licenses available to operators. They would then be required to pay 8% tax on the adjusted gross revenue. This makes it one of the lowest tax rates in the country.
19th August 2021: The Senate passed SB 688 by 26-19 in a vote.
4th November 2021: The SB 688 Bill was passed by the House Commerce Committee with a 12-4 vote. This moved the bill to the House Judiciary Committee – one of three more committees that will need to pass the bill for legalization.
History of North Carolina Sports Betting
2018:
The SCOTUS overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) – which allowed states to choose whether or not they would legalize sports betting.
2019:
State Governor Roy Cooper signed a bill that would allow retail sports betting and horse racing betting in state tribal lands.
2021:
The first legal retail sports wager was placed at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in March. In August that year, the NC Senate approved the online sports wagering bill and it was sent to the House. That was approved by the House Commerce Committee in November. It was then moved to the House Judiciary Committee.
The Move To Legalize North Carolina Sports Betting
After it was initially filed on April 7, the bill to change the North Carolina gambling laws and legalize online sports betting in North Carolina there were numerous amendments made. It then received bipartisan support and passed the NC Senate by a 26-19 vote.
Where it goes from here though, isn’t easy to predict. How it proceeds in 2022 is something we will have to see for now.
North Carolina Sports Betting Law
When the law eventually is passed – here are some of the main points:
- Sports betting in the state would be regulated by the North Carolina Lottery Commission.
- The NC Lottery Commission will authorise between 10 to 12 online sports betting licenses. These would be valid for 5 years and would cost $500,000 for the initial application fee.
- The bill would allow wagering at or within a half-mile of an NC sports facility that seats a minimum of 17,000 fans or one that hosts a yearly professional golf tournament.
- There would be an 88% tax levied on the adjusted gross revenues of every online sports betting operator. Half of the tax would go to the new ‘North Carolina Major Events, Games and Attraction Fund’.
- You need to be 21 years of age or older to place a bet
- It would authorize sports wagering on professional and college sports, eSports and other sports and events such as the Olympic Games.
- There will be a voluntary exclusion program established by the North Carolina Lottery Commission that allows individuals to exclude themselves from being able to place bets.
North Carolina Online Sportsbooks
If and when online sports betting is legalized, here are the sportsbooks likely to apply for one of the licenses.
Caesars Sportsbook
The most likely sports betting provider to open an online sportsbook in the state is Caesars. Caesar’s already manages North Carolina’s two Native American casinos and operates the only in-person sportsbook.
DraftKings Sportsbook
One of the leading online sports betting providers is DraftKings – which is currently available in practically every US state that has legalized online sportsbooks. This operator is hugely popular for its daily fantasy sports and has become one of the country’s leading names in sports betting.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel, like DraftKings, started out as a popular Daily Fantasy Sports operator but is now one of the biggest and best online sports betting operators in the US. The operator provides a sports betting mobile app considered one of the most user-friendly in the industry – and some excellent welcome sign up offers as well.
BetMGM Sportsbook
MGM Resorts’ online betting division, BetMGM, is a major player in the neighboring states of Tennessee and Virginia. This is a sportsbook that offers an excellent betting menu, lots of sports betting promotions and will be a popular addition to North Carolina.
NC Mobile Sports Betting Apps
Currently, there are no legal sports betting apps in NC. However, the bipartisan legislation attached to Senate Bill 688 would ensure that the North Carolina Education Lottery Commission would issue between 10 and 12 sports betting operator licenses. These would then allow licensed operators to offer North Carolina betting apps. In addition, any tribal nations that operate retail casinos will also be allowed to offer mobile betting apps in the state.
Android Betting Apps
All North Carolina sports betting online casinos will offer sports betting apps for android devices. This includes all major operators like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, PointsBet and more.
iOS Betting Apps
Many sports betting in North Carolina will use iOS devices to place wagers, such as iPhones and iPads. All of the best sports betting providers in the US will provide excellent betting apps that are compatible with iOS devices. These are all available to download, completely free, from the Apple App Store.
NC Sports Betting Bonuses & Promotions
There are three main types of welcome bonuses and sign up offers that you will probably have access to when NC online sports wagering is legalized. The first is a risk-free bet. This means that if your first bet loses, then the sports betting site will refund it in the form of free bet credits so you get a second chance.
Another common form of welcome bonus is a match deposit bonus. This would mean a North Carolina sports betting site matching a percentage of your first deposit up to a certain amount – i.e. 100% up to $500. If you deposit $500, you would get an extra $500 in bonus money. These generally come with wagering requirements.
Thirdly we have the no-deposit bonus -and this basically means that you get bonus money simply for signing up, without needing to actually deposit any money. It’s not usually a great deal of bonus money, but you get it for free!
In addition, the best North Carolina sports betting sites will give existing customers rewards for being loyal. This might include offers such as refer-a-friend-bonuses, reload bonuses, odds boosts, parlay insurance and more.
What to Look For in a North Carolina Sports Betting Site
User-Friendly and Intuitive Interface
NC sports betting sites should offer a simple and intuitive user interface. Often, bettors don’t want a site that is too fussy or fancy. They would rather simply log in, find their sports and game and make their bet. People prefer the ease of use over bells and whistles.
Variety of Betting Odds
People will want access to a wide variety of betting odds – and generous betting odds. These should be regularly updated and you should be able to locate the odds you want easily.
Live Betting / Live Streaming
One of the most popular ways to bet on sports in the US is when the game is already in play – live betting. The best NC online sports betting sites will offer live betting for major sports ad events.
The best will also over live streaming of the games and events on which they offer sports betting odds. This allows you to watch the action as it happens in real-time.
Excellent Customer Service
When making your sports bets in North Carolina, you’ll want plenty of ways to contact customer support. A good NC sports betting website should offer a variety of FAQsd to help you find the answers to the most commonly asked questions and resolve issues yourself, quickly.
If not, then there should be assistance available via live chat, phone, email and even social media platforms.
Different Types of Sports Bets Available in North Carolina
Here are the types of wagers you should be able to access when mobile sports betting is legalized in North Carolina
- Moneyline Bets
- Against the spread wagering
- Totals bets
- Futures
- Props bets
- Parlays
Sports Leagues You Can Bet On in North Carolina
- NFL Betting
- NBA Netting
- MLB Betting
- NHL Betting
- MLS Betting
There are some top teams from North Carolina in US major sports leagues, which will ensure that they will be widely popular on NC betting apps.
In addition, the new NC online sports betting bill will allow for betting on college sports. This is excellent because state fans of NCAA basketball teams from North Carolina and Duke will attract lots of support – and spend a lot of dollars placing bets on these teams. Other popular sports to bet on in North Carolina will include golf, NASCAR and tennis.
Daily Fantasy Sports in North Carolina
Daily Fantasy Sports is popular within the US. Although DFS has never been officially legalized in the state of North Carolina, it is estimated that around 1.6 million bets are placed on DFS in North Carolina. As such, sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings accept North Carolina residents.
How to Register and Make a Sports Bet in North Carolina
Registering a new North Carolina sports betting account and placing your first bet will be pretty easy. Here is what you should expect when opening a new account:
- Look through all of the top regulated betting sites and choose the one that suits your needs the best.
- Have a look at the site and see how it works.
- Click on register and enter all of the requested personal information, such as name, address, email address, cell phone number and the last four digits of your SSN.
- Create your new username and password.
- Make sure you verify your account.
- Make your first deposit into your new account and collect your sign up bonus
- Make your first bet!
How To Choose the Best NC Sports Betting Sites
Here are the main criteria you need to look at when choosing your sports betting site in NC.
License
The site should be regulated and licensed by the North Carolina Lottery Commission, which will be in charge of regulating sports betting in North Carolina. This will make sure that all NC sports betting sites are fully protecting players and following all the state’s rules and regulations.
Sports Betting Site Reputation
The best North Carolina sports betting sites will have already achieved an excellent reputation for sports betting within the US. The ones that have already built up an excellent reputation are much more likely to pay out winnings with no fuss.
Easily Accessible
A sports bettor in North Carolina should be easy for the players to access – wherever they are, whenever they want. It should always be quick and easy to place whatever bet you want.
Reliable
A sports betting site should use the most up to date technology – meaning that it shouldn’t offer a slow and laggy sports betting site. These will offer competitive odds, regularly updated on a platform that works well and is smooth.
Excellent Mobile Experience
The best mobile sports betting apps in North Carolina will offer a mobile experience that is every bit as reliable and impressive on desktop – in terms of ease of use, intuitiveness and overall quality. Just offering access on mobile is simply not enough now. A betting app needs to offer an excellent product that allows a bettor to do exactly what they want quickly and easily.
Generous Sports Betting Bonuses
The best online sports gambling NC sites will offer regular and generous bonuses. It should offer a very generous welcome bonus to start with. However, the very best will also keep their loyal customers happy by offering regular promotions and bonus offers to make them feel valued.
Variety of Payment Options
The best NC betting sites will offer players a wide variety of banking options. These should include methods such as bank and debit cards, eWallets such as PayPal and Neteller, prepaid cards and even Pay by Phone options. The more the merrier.
Selection of Games to Bet On
Obviously, all of the top sports betting sites in North Carolina will offer sports wagers on US Major League sports such as NBA betting, NFL betting, NHL betting and MLB betting. However, the best NC sports betting sites will also offer all other types of sports including NASCAR, MMA, tennis, soccer, golf, boxing and more.
Generous Odds
When it comes to sports betting odds – there are two things that sports bettors look for. Excellent sports betting sites will offer generous odds that are regularly updated.
Fast and Safe Deposits and Withdrawals
It’s not just the variety of banking options that is important, it’s also the speed and security of the deposits and withdrawals. We expect a prompt and safe way to both deposit into and withdraw out of the site.
Security
Whether it’s an online sports betting site, online shopping, banking or whatever, a customer wants to feel assured that their information and funds are completely safe and well-protected. The best sites for sports betting in NC will offer customers state of the art encryption technology and security tools.
Top North Carolina Sports Teams to Bet On
The most popular major league sports teams to bet on in North Carolina are:
NFL Betting: Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers joined the NFL franchise as an expansion team in 1995. In their second season, they reached the NFC Championship Game. They also made it two 2 Super Bowls- Super Bowl 38 and 50 and it is the only team that has lost the Super Bowl to both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
NFL Betting: Charlotte Hornets
This is the second coming of the Hornets. The original Hornets team played between 1988 to 2002, when it moved to New Orleans. However, Charlotte was given another NBA expansion franchise in 2004. They started out as the Bobcats but were renamed the Hornets and took over the original Hornets’ history and records.
NHL Betting: Carolina Hurricanes
The NHL franchise came to Carolina in 1997 after the Hartford Whalers moved to NC – and were renamed the Carolina Hurricanes. In 2002 they first reached the Stanley Cup – and managed to win it four years later.
However, College basketball and NASCAR are also popular sports to bet on in North Carolina.
Duke Blue Devils Basketball
The Duke’s men’s basketball team is the fourth most successful college basketball program ever, especially since the 1980s. They have won the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championships five times and have made it to the March Madness Final Fours 16 times.
North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball
The Tar Heels has won the NCAA Tournament six times – the third-most in the history of the tournament. They have also won 18 Atlantic Coast Conference titles. The team has an overall winning percentage of 70% and have played pre-fame players such as Michael Jordan and Vince Carter.
North Carolina Responsible Gambling
North Carolina has introduced the North Carolina Problem Gambling Program (NCPGP) that has been designed to support problem gambling – such as education, problem gambling prevention, outreach and treatment services in the state.
North Carolina Betting FAQs
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in North Carolina?
No, currently online sports betting in North Carolina has not been legalized, but there is currently a bill under discussion.
When Will Online Sports Betting be Legal in North Carolina?
This is not yet confirmed, but all being well it may be at some point in 2022.
Do I Have to Live In North Carolina to Bet on Sports?
There are only two casinos that offer sports betting legally – so you have to be physically there to be on sports. When legalized online sports betting is available, you will need to be physically in North Carolina but you won’t need to live there.
Can I Bet on College Sports in North Carolina?
Yes, you can.
Are Daily Fantasy Sports Legal in NC?
Not officially, but sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings accept players from North Carolina.
Can You Play at FanDuel in North Carolina?
Yes, but only for DFS right now. Until online sports betting is legalized in NC, residents in North Carolina can only play at FanDuel for Daily Fantasy Sports.
Do North Carolina Casinos have Sports Betting?
The two tribal casinos in the stats do offer Sports Betting.
