New Year, New Parlay! As of now, online sports betting is expected to launch by January 2024.
In June 2023, Governor Cooper signed House Bill 347, legalizing sports betting throughout North Carolina. You may be wondering, “Why the heck would I bet on the Panthers or Hornets this season?” Carolina separates itself from some other states by allowing wagering on amateur sports, so go Tar Heels.
Sports betting legalization was a grueling uphill battle for a few years. The first significant effort took place back in March 2019 with Senate Bill 154. The bill tried to legalize wagering on sports and horse racing on tribal lands in accordance with the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, but the sports betting provision would later be struck from the bill. The provision lay dead until HB 929 and SB 574 proposed enabling tribal casinos to offer sportsbook services under the oversight of a newly formed “North Carolina Gaming Commission”.
By March 2021, the state would allow retail sports wagering exclusively at Cherokee Casino locations.
In 2022 the Senate, with SB 688, would explore expanding sports betting but failed to reach an agreement. But the state assembly would go on to assemble like the Avengers of Wagers, and House Bill 347 was signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper in March of 2023.
Now all that’s left is the waiting game, and not too much longer at that.
The legal framework is set, and there are major sports betting operators ready to make their move come the new year. North Carolina is a major hub in American sports. Be it the Panthers, UNC Tar Heels, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Charlotte Hornets, Charlotte FC, and so forth.
Wagering season for a Carolina will be almost 365 days long, so we can expect major sports operators to enter the market hard and grab as much market share as they can. What does that mean for you, the Carolina bettor? Better promotions, boosted odds, and more annoying advertisements.
Betting sites interested in operating in North Carolina
- DraftKings
- BetMGM
- Caesars
- Bet365
- Betrivers
- Fanduel
- Fanatics
The Commission intends to license at least 10 but no more than 12 interactive sports wagering operators.