Mobile sports betting launches in North Carolina Monday at noon

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Mobile sports betting will launch Monday in North Carolina, marking a significant expansion of legalized gambling in the state.

The NC Lottery Commission set Mar. 11 at noon as the official start, though players can begin setting up accounts with the various operators approved to take bets in the state. More details can be found at ncgaming.gov.  

“It’s been a mad dash the last 16 months to get into as many states as possible,” said Rob Brazer, vice president of product at Fanatics Sportsbook, which has partnered with the Carolina Hurricanes. “North Carolina is a great market to be in. There’s a lot of opportunity here, a lot of passionate sports fans.”

A non-partisan analysis by the legislature’s fiscal research division found the state is expected to generate about $100 million annually by the fifth year of sports betting being operational, with the state netting about $71.6 million after expenses.

Opponents of legalized sports betting have raised concerns about how it could fuel problem gambling. Leaders of the North Carolina Problem Gambling Program previously told CBS 17 they’re preparing for a potential spike in activity.

The first $2 million in revenue generated from sports betting will go toward problem gambling programs.

Brazer said the Fanatics app allows users to place limits on themselves, including how much they can bet in a week or how much time they spend on the app. The state has also created an option for people to opt out of being able to register for the various betting apps or receive targeted .

“I think it’s gonna provide better, safer access than other mechanisms people have today whether that’s offshore books where there’s uncertainty about your money. It’s a highly regulated industry as it should be,” said Brazer. “Those sort of things are there and in place to help customers use sports betting for what it is, a form of entertainment while keeping themselves within their own means.”

Brad Senkiw, who reports on the sports betting industry for Covers.com, said North Carolina is a key market for these companies and will be the single biggest launch of the year as far as states going live with sports betting.

“It’s huge. It’s one of the bigger states in a while that’s launched,” said Senkiw. “I expect things to go smoothly on Monday. I don’t think that these apps are gonna crash or have an issue. That’s why they do pre-registration really.”

He also said North Carolina could draw customers from other states. He pointed out Virginia does not allow people to place bets on in-state collegiate teams. North Carolina does not have such a restriction.

“So, those who want to wager on Virginia/Virginia Tech, they could come across the border to North Carolina and place that bet on their favorite team,” he said.

The various betting operators will also be able to launch in-person sportsbooks at professional venues such as PNC Arena later this year, but the NC Lottery Commission has not set a date for that to begin.

“It really doesn’t touch mobile. In a lot of states mobile sports betting makes up 95, 97 percent [of the activity],” said Senkiw.