Online sports betting to start in March in NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WBTV) – Online sports betting will begin March 11 in North Carolina, lottery officials announced Wednesday.

Under the Sports Wagering Authorization, members of the public who are 21 years old or older and who have established accounts with a licensed operator can use their phone or electronic device as of noon on March 11 to place sports wagers on licensed operators’ sports wagering platforms, according to the North Carolina State Lottery Commission.

The Authorization also set Friday, March 1, as the date when licensed operators can begin registering accounts for new players and accepting account deposits.

“The plan approved today means that North Carolinians will be able to place bets on their favorite teams in many of this year’s college basketball conference tournaments, including men’s tournaments in the ACC, Conference USA, the MEAC, and the AAC, as well as throughout the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments,” Ripley Rand, chair of the commission, said in a statement.

Last summer, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper signed the sports betting bill into law while at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

BetMGM and DraftKings, two high-profile online sportsbooks, recently announced agreements to operate in N.C.