• Sports betting in North Carolina will now be classified as a Class III gaming activity that tribal casinos can offer.
  • Betting on NC college teams will also be allowed in the state’s tribal casinos.
  • Language for state-wide mobile wagering apps in NC was left out of the bill.

RALIEGH, N.C. – It only took a month’s long hiatus and an overtime session from the state legislature, but a NC sports betting bill was finally signed into law last Friday.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper gave his signature of approval to NC SB 154, which adds the activity of betting on sports to the Class III games that the tribal casinos in the state can offer.

The Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, NC and the Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy, NC are the only locations that have the ability to construct sportsbooks.

The bill did not include any provisions that would pay sports leagues integrity fees and does not have any restrictions on collegiate sports betting. Visitors of the casinos will have the ability to bet on the Duke Blue Devils, the North Carolina Tarheels, as well as any other team in the country.

The bill also left out any language that would permit mobile sports wagering apps in North Carolina. As of now, NC sports betting has to remain on-site at these two tribal casino locations.

Next Steps for NC Sports Betting

North Carolina became the 17th state in the U.S. to authorize legal sports betting in some fashion since the repeal of PASPA in May of 2018.

Neighboring state, Tennessee, also legalized sports wagering earlier this year through online sportsbooks only. A timeline for when those apps will launch has not yet been determined.

However, depending on the results, North Carolina lawmakers may be influenced to bring the same type of sports betting to the Tarheel State.

A sports betting study bill, NC SB 574, is close to being sent to Governor Cooper’s desk. The bill would create a single gaming commission to oversee all gambling activity in the state and would task the commission with studying the effects of expanding sports betting to the entire state.

The bill was originally passed by the Senate, then passed through the House with an amendment, and is now back in the Senate waiting for concurrence.

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