North Carolina Online Sports Betting Pre-Registration Now Open
In 10 days North Carolina online sports betting will launch, but beginning today users can choose to register sports betting accounts in the Tar Heel State.
As of noon today, eight licensed operators can begin pre-registering users ahead of the state’s Monday, March 11 online sports betting launch. Users with registered accounts can also begin funding their accounts starting today.
It is expected that all eight licensed operators will be ready to begin accepting bets during the state’s opening day.
North Carolina Sports Betting Close to Becoming Reality
The North Carolina Lottery Commission awarded licenses to the following operators and their partners:
As part of the requirements for a license, each operator had to partner with either a North Carolina sports franchise, arena, or PGA Tour golf course.
Two tribes have applied for sports betting licenses in the state. Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Cherokee has partnered with Caesars Sportsbook for online sports betting in the state. The Catawba Two Kings Casino is still awaiting a license and has yet to announce its operating partner. Both tribes currently offer in-person sports betting at their respective brick-and-mortar casinos in the state.
“Issuing the first interactive sports wagering operator licenses today represents a major milestone in establishing legal sports betting in North Carolina,” said Ripley Rand, chair of the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, in a release. “North Carolinians can begin signing up for accounts on their mobile devices on Friday with the confidence they will soon be able to make wagers on their favorite sporting events securely and responsibly. We’re just 11 days away from the start of sports betting in North Carolina and we will be working every day between now and then to see that our launch is a successful one.”
North Carolina Sports Betting History
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed the state’s online sports betting bill into law on June 14, 2023. By law, North Carolina regulators had one year to launch sports betting from the day Cooper signed the bill.
In-person sports betting was legal in the state, but the bill expands where it can offered. There is currently no date for the expanded launch of brick-and-mortar sports betting in the state. Eight facilities are eligible to host brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.
The PNC Arena in Raleigh, WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, Bank of America Stadium and Spectrum Center in Charlotte, Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro and Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte will be allowed to host sportsbooks at their locations.
The sports betting bill includes an 18% sports betting tax rate, legalizes pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, and disallows sports betting operators to deduct promotional bets from their gross revenues. It allows allows bets on professional sports, college sports (including in-state schools), eSports, and the Olympic games.
At an 18% tax rate, the state estimates $22.1 million in total sports wagering tax and fee revenue by FY 2023-2024, which increases to $100.6 million by FY 2027-28.
Sports Betting Revenue Distribution
North Carolina sports betting tax revenues will be distributed as follows:
- $2 million annually for gambling addiction and treatment services
- $1 million annually to Division of Parks and Recreation for the purchase of youth sports equipment
- $300,000 each annually to seven state universities for their athletic departments
- $1 million annually to Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council for grants
If there is any remaining revenue, it will be distributed as follows:
- 20% to 13 historically black colleges and universities for their athletic departments
- 30% to a fund to attract major sporting events to the state (Super Bowl, March Madness, etc.)
- 50% to the state’s general fund
Online sports betting licenses cost $1 million for five years.
