North Carolina is primed to be a new home for online sports betting. Until now the state has only offered retail sports betting at two tribal casino locations in the state’s western portion. However, there is plenty of momentum toward mobile sports betting coming to the Tar Heel state in 2023.
And this seems like an opportune time to do so. North Carolina is in the midst of an eventful year on the sports field.
To kick off the 2023 NFL season, the Carolina Panthers acquired the first pick of the NFL Draft from the Chicago Bears in an effort to secure their franchise quarterback, while the Carolina Hurricanes are one of the top threats in the Eastern Conference.
Nearby states such as Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee, among others, have been more aggressive than North Carolina in terms of legalization. This may have put some pressure on North Carolina lawmakers to move towards legalized mobile betting, and residents could see it launch as early as the fall if things progress according to plan.
As of March 13, 2023, North Carolina legislation filed a bill to legalize mobile sports betting – and a little over two weeks later, HB 347 was approved on Wednesday, March 29, by a vote of 64-45. This means the bill is headed to the Senate!
Below we will review the sports betting history in North Carolina, the bill in place that could legalize mobile sports betting once and for all, and other ancillary details to make sure bettors know what’s what in NC.
North Carolina sports betting history
As of 2021, sports betting was officially legalized in North Carolina. However, only in-person at the state’s two tribal casinos.
As we alluded above, HB 347 was officially passed through the North Carolina House of Representatives. Many believed this would be the biggest obstacle to overcome towards legalized online sports betting in the Tar Heel state.
News: A bill to legalize mobile sports betting in North Carolina officially passes through the House on its third reading. The bill now heads to the Senate.
A significant hurdle cleared for the legislation, which estimates a go-live date of Jan. 8, 2024 for mobile sportsbooks.
— Bennett Conlin (@BennettConlin) March 29, 2023
2022 NC sports betting hopes dwindle – on to 2023
A once promising position soured considerably towards the end of 2022. The North Carolina house voted down SB 688 by a 51-50 margin on its second reading on the floor on June 22nd, 2022. The most recent development made it increasingly unlikely that sports betting would be legalized in North Carolina in 2022, which became a reality.
One of the major complications surrounded a last minute amendment that would have completely banned wagers on all college sports. With the popularity of college sports in the state, like UNC, Duke, NC State, Wake Forest, and others, it would have meant a significant hit to potential revenue.
North Carolina’s online sports betting bill details
So, what are some of the details in this North Carolina sports betting bill, HB 347?
The North Carolina would regulate sports betting. Up to 12 potential online operators would be allowed to take wagers in North Carolina. In addition, professional teams with over 17,000 person-capacity stadiums can open a sports betting lounge.
Mobile licenses would cost $1 million a year for five years for these online sportsbooks. The 12 mobile operators would not be able to accept wagers on mobile if a bettor was on tribal land.
In addition, these operators would be taxed at an annual rate of 14% on their adjusted gross revenue.
Professional, collegiate, and Olympic sports wagering is permitted under this bill.
For a state as integral to college sports as North Carolina, this provision is a home run for its residents and any tourists passing through.
As for the legal online sports betting age? 21. Expect North Carolina to move forward with a pretty standard twenty-one and up age requirement for online wagering.
What’s next?
Many viewed the North Carolina House of Representatives as the biggest hurdle towards online legalization. Since that is no longer the case, legislation is almost at the finish line.
The bill will need to be worked through the Senate floor before it reaches Gov. Cooper. It is possible the Senate proposes some additional or revised amendments. But as of now, North Carolina has a lofty January 2024 online sports betting launch date. 
(Shutterstock)
The importance of geolocation
All online sports bettors in the United States may be familiar with “geolocation.”
Each sportsbook will use geolocation software to ensure their bettors are within a permitted area to place bets and use their app accordingly.
In order to optimize the use of geolocation, sports should enable a strong WiFi connection or formidable service to prevent any lag. But all in all, bettors will need to be within state borders to ensure there are no issues with your geolocation software.
Sometimes geolocation software can be confused with your location if you are on or near a state border. Therefore, if you are a few miles away from a state border, you should have no issues navigating your sportsbook app.
NC retail sports betting
Retail sports betting began in North Carolina in 2021, however, the locations are limited to the two tribal casinos in the more rural western part of the state. So for the majority of sports bettors in North Carolina, nothing has really changed.
Both tribal casinos are Harrah’s properties, meaning they are now home to Caesars Sportsbook venues. These casinos are Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River. There is a third tribal casino, Catawba Two Kings, which is also planning to add a sportsbook, but it has not made any announcements yet.
| North Carolina Casino | Retail Sportsbook | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort | Caesars Sportsbook | 777 Casino Drive Cherokee, NC 28719 |
| Harrah's Cherokee Valley River | Caesars Sportsbook | 777 Casino Parkway Murphy, NC 28906 |
| Catawba Two Kings | TBA | 538 Kings Mountain Blvd. Kings Mountain, NC 28086 |
NC online sports betting
As discussed above, the Senate approved HB 347 in the House, and it is up to North Carolina’s Senate to officially approve the bill. If the bill passes, reports have expressed optimism that online sports betting could launch in January 2024 – during the NFL season.
Potential North Carolina online sportsbooks
The deal isn’t even signed yet, so this is all speculative, but with room for up to 12 sportsbooks in North Carolina, there’s going to be significant opportunity. With opportunity, comes the big names in US online sports betting. Expect all of the following to get involved in North Carolina, once able. Once legalized, we’ll update this section when we get confirmed North Carolina market access deals.
(1) FanDuel Sportsbook NC
Off of name recognition alone, many North Carolinians will be familiar with the sports betting conglomerate. Not only is FanDuel Sportsbook already active in North Carolina with their DFS app, but they are one of the biggest and more successful sportsbooks in all of the United States.
(2) DraftKings Sportsbook NC
DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the more prominent brands in the sports betting industry. Like FanDuel, DraftKings is already a DFS operator in the Tarheel State. DraftKings is typically very aggressive, with states preparing to launch sports betting in the past. There’s no doubt that they will offer betting in North Carolina once permitted.
(3) Caesars Sportsbook NC
We expect Caesars Sportsbook to be all over this launch. They are already active in the state’s two retail sportsbooks, so the transition should be an easy one. They’re a force to be reckoned with nationwide, and already have a leg up on the competition in-state. What more could you ask for?
(4) BetMGM Sportsbook NC
BetMGM Sportsbook is one of the fastest-growing sportsbooks in the United States. Having been available in Virginia and Tennessee, we expect BetMGM is a solid contender to join North Carolina upon launch.
The Latest North Carolina Sports Betting News
Get A Grip — The Week In Sports Betting: North Carolina’s Closing In
Here’s “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top sports betting headlines, highlighting some fresh news, and rounding up key stories.
North Carolina Senate Approves Amended Sports Betting Bill
Now headed back to House, Senate bill would increase tax rate, change launch date, and allow for commercial retail locations.
North Carolina’s Mobile Sports Betting Bill Heading To Senate Floor
The North Carolina Senate may vote this week on a bill that would legalize up to 12 digital betting platforms, with launch within a year.
Professional Sports Teams in NC
| Team | League |
|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes | NHL |
| Carolina Panthers | NFL |
| Charlotte Hornets | NBA |
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers 2022 watching experience was a cathartic one. They made solid upgrades along the offensive line, including 6th overall selection Ikem Ekwonu and returned most of the production from the 2nd best defense in the NFL in terms of yards per game.
However, the quarterback position continued to be a mess and led to the firing of head coach Matt Rhule.
Carolina has since hired former Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich to assume head man responsibilities in Charlotte. And his first major move as a head coach was a splash.
The weekend before free agency was set to kick off, Carolina elected to trade up from pick number nine to the first overall pick. Along with pick 9, Carolina shipped away pick 61, 2024 first round pick, 2025 second round pick, and wide receiver DJ Moore.
And with that, your Carolina Panthers are on the clock…
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes just fell short of trying to win their first Stanley Cup since their lone title run in 2005-06 behind the heroics of Cam Ward.
The Hurricanes have boasted one of the best teams in hockey during head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s tenure. But they haven’t quite broken through just yet – under the leadership of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Jaccob Slavin, they’ll look to change that.
The Hurricanes fell in game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference semi-finals to the New York Rangers as of Memorial Day.
In the 2023 season, it’s been more of the same. Carolina is nicely positioned for a high seed. They’ve been neck-and-neck with the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division – Carolina will need to go through the likes of Boston, the Rangers, Lightning, among other potential contenders, to get to the Stanley Cup.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets have been a disaster this past season.
The Hornets hold the second-to-worst record in the Eastern Conference with no hope in making the play-in tournament. It seems all the attention is focused on what should be a loaded 2023 NBA Draft class. The headline in this class is French prospect Victor Wembanyama. In addition, Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller make for solid consolation prizes.
North Carolina college teams
| Team | League |
|---|---|
| UNC Tar Heels | NCAA Basketball |
| Duke Blue Devils | NCAA Basketball |
| NC State Wolfpack | NCAA Football |
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons | NCAA Football |
UNC Tar Heels
The University of North Carolina is coming off a special year.
2022 was the first year without Roy Williams since 2003 for the Tar Heels, and they were just minutes away from hoisting the NCAAB national championship.
The regular season presented some roadblocks, but they made a nice surge into the tournament, including a win over Duke in Coach K’s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Tar Heels made the tournament as an eighth seed, stormed through their region, and won a rematch against Duke in the Final Four.
UNC did not rebound well off the title loss. Despite bringing back the same nucleus of Armando Bacot, Caleb Love, and RJ Davis, UNC missed the NCAA Tournament. They are the first NCAA runner-up to miss the Tournament the very next year since 1985.
Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils basketball team underwent one of the more magnified seasons in NCAA history.
Legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski announced before the season that 2021 would be his final one. As the postseason inched closer, each game was over the national landscape.
And after faltering in Coach K’s final game in Cameroon Indoor and the ACC Championship, there were plenty of doubters.
However, the basketball team righted their wrongs and marched onto the Final Four. Duke followed this up winning the ACC Conference Tournament title under head coach Jon Scheyer in his first season. Scheyer and co. lost in the Round of 32 to Tennessee.
NC State Wolfpack
NC State is coming off a solid year on the gridiron. The college football team finished with a 8-5 record, and they received a bid to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Under head coach Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack have made a bowl game in eight of his ten seasons.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
In 2022, Wake Forest’s football team had a storied year. They marched on to their first ACC title game against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Although they fell short, they went on to win 11 games, tying a school record.
In 2023, the Deacs finished 8-5, including a win in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl over Missouri. Under head coach Dave Clawson, the Demon Deacons have made seven straight bowl games.
Other Division 1 programs in NC
| College | Conference |
|---|---|
| Appalachian State Mountaineers | Sun Belt |
| Campbell Fighting Camels | Big South |
| Charlotte 49ers | C-USA |
| Davidson Wildcats | Atlantic 10 |
| East Carolina Pirates | American Athletic |
| Elon Phoenix | CAA |
| Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs | Big South |
| High Point Panthers | Big South |
| North Carolina A&T Aggies | Big South |
| North Carolina Central Eagles | MEAC |
| UNC Asheville Bulldogs | Big South |
| UNC Greensboro Spartans | SoCon |
| UNC Wilmington Seahawks | CAA |
| Western Carolina Catamounts | SoCon |
North Carolina sports betting promotions
As online sports betting creeps closer to legalization, sports bettors in North Carolina need to familiarize themselves with sports betting promotions. Sportsbooks will try to entice users to come on their book with welcome bonuses that include intriguing promotions.
(1) First bet refund in North Carolina
Many sportsbooks will offer first bet refund in the form of bonus bets or bet credits to entice users to join as they are the most common sign up promotion.
First bet refunds are simple – they can act as insurance if you lose your first bet with your new sportsbook. For example, let’s say a sportsbook offers a first bet refund for up to $50. You decide to place $50 on the Panthers Moneyline. You win the bet? Great, end of story. Enjoy your winnings. You lose? You will receive a $50 Bonus Bet. We will explain bonus bets in the following header.
Once online sports betting is approved, and goes live in North Carolina, there will be plenty of first bet refund promotions to take advantage of.
(2) North Carolina bonus bet
Bonus bets are given to new and existing customers to reward their loyalty and continue playing on their sportsbooks.
You can think of bonus bets essentially as credits. If you have a credit in North Carolina, you can use this to wager. If you lose, you don’t lose any real money. However, you will win whatever that payout would reward if you win. Let’s go over an example.
You have a $50 bonus bet and decide to place it on the Hornets spread at -110 odds. A $50 wager at -110 odds would potentially pay you out $95.95 with a profit of $45.45 plus your original $50 stake back. Typically speaking with bonus bets, you would not receive your initial stake back as a payout in a bonus bet. So, in this example, if you lose, you do not lose any real money, but your bonus bet is gone. If you win, you would win $45.45 that is now yours to keep – withdraw – bet with, etc.
On some rare occasions bonus bets will return the original stake – so keep an eye out for those.
(3) Deposit match
A deposit match bonus is pretty much what it sounds like.
Sportsbooks will offer a deposit match bonus up to a certain amount of money. So, for example, a sportsbook may offer up to a $200 deposit match. If you deposit $200 into your account, the sportsbook would match that deposit with $200 in credits.
Usually, you will need to follow through on a playthrough requirement where you wager your bonus bets, but ultimately at the end of the day, it’s money to bet with.
Possible betting markets available in NC
A market is a bet that will be available at a sportsbook. One of the great parts of the proliferation of sportsbooks around the United States is the ability to shop for different prices in similar markets.
For example, you may like the Panthers’ moneyline against the Falcons for the upcoming week. On one sportsbook, it may offer you -110 odds, and another may offer you greater odds at +100, which would give you a bigger payout. These are examples of similar markets at different prices. Below is a list of the most common markets you can bet on in sportsbooks.
- Spread
- Moneyline
- Over/under
- Prop bets
- Futures
- Teaser
- Parlay
- Live/in-game
Banking Options for NC sportsbooks
When sportsbooks come flooding into North Carolina, you will have most, if not all, of these banking options to deposit into your account and withdraw your winnings.
- AHC eCheck
- Bank wire transfer
- Cash at the casino cage
- Online banking
- PayNearMe
- PayPal
- Play+ prepaid card
- Skrill
- Visa/Mastercard
North Carolina Sports Betting FAQ
Is sports betting legal in North Carolina?
Yes! Sports betting IS legal in North Carolina, though, only in-person right now. Retail wagering began in 2021 and there is an expectation that mobile wagering could be legal by January 2024. Once the HB 347 is approved by the Senate, sports betting would be fully legal in the Tar Heel State – online AND in-person.
What is the legal sports betting age in North Carolina?
The legal sports betting age in North Carolina is 21. Once approved for online betting, the 21 and up number should carry over for mobile wagering too
When will mobile sports betting become operational in North Carolina?
Once online sports betting is approved, it usually takes a number of months and sometimes even years to launch online sportsbooks. North Carolina lawmakers would generally be incentivized to try to launch mobile sports betting before the next season football kicks off in the fall but at this stage, it is tough to tell.
Responsible Gaming Resources
When you bet on sports, it’s possible go down a rabbit hole of bad habits. Sports betting is at its best when it serves as a piece of entertainment, nothing more. Like going out to a movie or watching some Netflix, it’s best when it’s done in moderation. When sports betting gets past that point, there are plenty of responsible gaming resources available that you can tap into. These are great resources for people who may be battling an addiction, but these tools aren’t just for addicts:
(1) Self-exclusion list
Bettors in North Carolina can place themselves on a self-exclusion list if betting is becoming too tempting. If you are trying not to gamble, you can place yourself on a self-exclusion list which would ban you from using their sportsbook app for an allotted period of time.
(2) Deposit and session limits
Deposit and session limits are a great tool sportsbooks offer for all users. Bettors have the ability to limit the amount of money and time they expend on a sportsbook app.
(3) Helplines
If you have a gambling addiction or feel you are trending in that direction, there are helplines you can call or text if you think you have an ongoing problem. Trained professionals are available to talk to you and help you receive your support.
For more information about problem gambling in North Carolina and other states, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)’s treatment/resource finder by state.
- Call the NCPG: 1-800-522-4700 (24-hour confidential national helpline)
- Text the NCPG: 1-800-522-4700 (24-hour confidential national text service)
- Chat with the NCPG: ncpgambling.org/chat (24-hour confidential national chat service)
