Domestic sports betting in North Carolina has been available for years at a few tribal casinos. However, placing a wager required travel to remote destinations and the potential for a return trip to collect a payout, depending on how far in advance it was made.
NC lawmakers agree that placing a $10 bet on a ballgame shouldn’t require a 200-mile round trip. On Monday, the debut of NC sports betting sites and sportsbook apps opened the floodgates for wagering on college and pro games.
Now, bets can be placed in every square inch of the state with web-connected computers and mobile devices. This status applies to residents and visitors to North Carolina that are at least 21 years old.
Online And Mobile Sportsbooks In North Carolina
- BetMGM
- Bet365
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- ESPN Bet
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
- Underdog Sports Wagering
So far, the above eight NC sportsbooks comprise the entirety of the state’s online and mobile options. North Carolina is college basketball country, and this debut comes just in time for the conference tournaments and, more importantly, betting on March Madness, which begins next week.
The first official online wager placed in NC was a bet on the NHL by Governor Roy Cooper.
“The legalization of sports betting will provide a significant boost to North Carolina’s economy and will allow our thriving sports industry to continue to grow… For the first bet in North Carolina, I’m taking the Carolina Hurricanes to win the Stanley Cup. The winnings will be donated to the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation which helps children’s charities.”
Excerpts From A Statement Issued By North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper
The Tarheel State now joins a national sports betting majority. It is the 30th region to permit mobile and online options and the 38th to legalize retail sportsbooks.
This puts additional pressure on South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama politicians, as states with legal online sports betting now surround them. Gamblers in SC, GA, and AL merely need to drive across the border into Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Louisiana, or Mississippi to bet on sports.
When bettors from other states place wagers in these regions, the dollars they spend benefit local economies. Whether legislators agree with sports betting or not, none are in favor of revenue gaps.
While the North Carolina legislature has covered all bases by offering retail, online, and mobile sports betting, offshore sportsbooks still present a fiscal issue. Because the minimum age to bet on sports in NC has been set to 21, the 18-to-20 market is limited to international sportsbooks operating over the web.
While that situation is not a big deal to area gamblers, the money wagered represents tax dollars that are escaping NC. There is a chance that the age could be lowered to 18 in the future. Tennessee and Kentucky opted to permit 18-year-olds to sports bet, and the additional revenue is measurable.