Raleigh – As of noon Monday, those within North Carolina can place wagers on sports without having to be at an in-person sportsbook.
The sports betting apps BetMGM, bet365, FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, ESPN BET, Fanatics and Underdog Sports have launched and are available for use by people in the Tar Heel State. Caesars is taking wagers for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians since they operate the two Harrah’s brick-and-mortar casinos on Cherokee land, including one in Murphy.
North Carolina is one of 30 states and Washington, D.C., that has legalized sports betting. It is also the sixth-largest state that has it legalized.
In June 2023, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a bill into law that set the path for mobile sports betting to become legal in the state when placing wagers at physical sportsbooks became legal. The law was changed in September 2023, where sports betting companies had to partner with a team or facility in order for them to have access to the N.C. mobile sports betting market; for example, FanDuel partnered with the Carolina Panthers and PGA Tour to gain access to the N.C. market.
In a General Assembly meeting on May 31, 2023, legislators discussed the financial side of mobile sports betting in House Bill 346 version 5. Fiscal research by legislators estimate that in the first year that mobile sports betting is legal, there will be $74.9 million in tax and fee revenue. They estimate an increase to $100.6 million by the 2027-28 fiscal year.
In the same meeting, they discussed where the money made from mobile sports betting in the state will go:
- $1 million will go to N.C. Amateur Sports for local governments or nonprofits to purchase equipment, public facility upgrades or improvements to benefit youth sports.
- $300,000 to the 13 University of North Carolina colleges to support their athletic departments.
- $1 million will go to the N.C. Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council toward grants to help with travel expenses for teams and incentive grants to attract sporting events for nonprofessional athletes.
- Out of the remaining available money, 20 percent will be evenly distributed to the 13 UNC colleges to support their athletic departments, 30 percent will go to the N.C. Major Events, Game & Attractions Fund and the remaining 50 percent will go to the state’s General Fund.
Legislators estimate that the 50 percent equates to $28.1 million into the general fund in 2024-25, with an increase to $44.8 million in 2027-28. They also estimate that the 20 percent to the 13 UNC colleges equated to $1.2 million in 2024-25, with an increase to $2.7 million in 2027-28. The 30 percent to N.C. Major Events, Game & Attractions Fund equates to $16.9 million in 2024-25 and an increase to $26.9 million in 2027-28.
The N.C. State Lottery Commission has also announced the N.C. Problem Gambling Program that provides effective problem gaming prevention, education, outreach and treatment and recovery services for people who believe they might have a gambling problem, according to the website ncgaming.gov. The new law for mobile sports betting includes $2 million a year to expand this program.
They have also implemented the Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program. Wagering operators use information from those who enroll in the program to freeze their existing betting accounts and block them from creating new accounts in North Carolina.
To enroll, visit ncgaming.gov/responsible-gaming. Those who think they may have a gambling problem can call 877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov.
Mobile sports betting went live just one day before NCAA basketball conference tournaments began Tuesday, and a little over a week before the NCAA March Madness tournament kicks off Thursday, March 21.
Users must be ages 21 or older and physically in the state to place wagers online through the seven available mobile sports betting apps.