Your guide to North Carolina sports betting
Online sports betting launched at noon on March 11. Here's how North Carolina got here and where you can place your bets.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mobile sports gambling officially launched in North Carolina on Monday, from lawmakers, sports fans and sports franchises across the state.
Eight licensed sportsbooks will be allowed to operate in North Carolina. Those sportsbooks include the biggest names in sports gambling, from FanDuel and DraftKings to BetMGM, ESPN BET and Caesars.
Users can download one of those apps and create an account. From there, you will deposit money and can gamble on sports events. The apps are based on your location, meaning if you drive to South Carolina (or any other state where online gambling isn't legal), you won't be able to wager on games. If you're in a state where it's legal, you can place bets if that sportsbook is licensed to operate there.
Gambling experts predict smooth launch in North Carolina
Sports gambling experts believe Monday's launch will see very few hiccups as these sportsbooks are accustomed to operating nationwide already.
"I think it's going to be smooth sailing," Robert Linnehan, the editor of Sports Betting Dime, told WCNC Charlotte's Flashpoint. "This is too big of a state. It's too big of a market for these operators not to be on top of their game when this launches."
While sports fans were disappointed that mobile betting didn't launch in time for the Super Bowl, state lawmakers made it a priority to have things up and rolling in time for March Madness, well ahead of the June 15 deadline. Early estimates suggest that online betting will generate nearly $65 million in additional tax revenue for North Carolina in the first year.
Gov. Roy Cooper signed sports gambling into law last June in Charlotte, alongside lawmakers who pushed the bill through the General Assembly. The North Carolina Lottery Commission was then tasked with creating the rules and regulations before granting licenses to sportsbooks.
The Catawba Two Kings Casino is still awaiting a license. According to WRAL, the casino is the only group that applied for a sports betting license that wasn't approved.
In addition to mobile gambling, North Carolina law allows for in-person sports betting parlors. Several sports arenas have been approved for in-person sportsbooks, including Bank of America Stadium, Spectrum Center, North Wilkesboro Speedway and Quail Hollow Club. There's currently no launch date for the expanded launch of in-person sports betting.
Sports betting 101
Steve Bittenbender from BetCarolina.com says there are three common types of bets. You'll typically hear about points spreads, money lines and totals.
The points spread is a handicap of the two teams playing.
"If you bet the favorite, that means you're betting on them to win by more than that," Bittenbender said. "If they're an underdog, you're expecting them to cover that spread or potentially win outright."
Next is the money line or "straight up" bet. You're picking a winner of the game. This is more advantageous for bettors who believe an underdog is going to pull off the upset. If you pick the favorite to win, you won't win as much but the only thing that matters is winning the game.
"The odds are going to be shorter than they would be with a point spread, but for an underdog, you're going to have more lucrative odds," he said. "They have to win outright. They can't just cover, but you get a bigger payout."
The third type of bet is the total bet. This refers to the amount of points scored for both teams combined. You can also bet on single team totals if you prefer.
"That is what a lot of people refer to as the over-under," Bittenbender said. "A lot of people like to bet the over because it's more of a psychological thing where people want to see something exceeded. So in basketball, you may see a total college basketball that exceeds an over-under of like, 150 points."
As of Monday, bettors can wager on who wins the NCAA Tournament. Bittenbender says while the full field isn't set, you can still place a bet on several contenders in the futures market.
"I was checking odds this morning, before everything went live, and I was seeing North Carolina at 18 to 1 and Duke around 20 to 1," he said. "There opportunity there to bet on your favorite team to see if they will win the NCAA Tournament."
If you want to make bets but don't know much about sports, there are still opportunities to play by placing what's known as a prop bet. That's where you bet on a specific outcome to happen, say a player scoring 10 points or kicking a field goal.
When it comes to gaming practices, Bittenbender says it's best to start small and keep it there.
"If you put $100 into an account, don't look to bet more than $3 or $5 on a game," he said. "That way it helps keep you in this game longer. You know, sports betting really is meant to supplement your experience with sports, not supplant it. So it's a good way to stay engaged with the game from start to finish. You're probably not going to make a lot of money on this, but it's a way for you to test your knowledge, test your skill and have some bragging rights with your friends time to time."
Franchises team with sportsbooks for online gambling
Under North Carolina law, sportsbooks must have an agreement with a sports franchise or league to operate in the state. That's why BetMGM partnered with Charlotte Motor Speedway, for example. The Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets all signed deals with official betting partners, allowing those companies to advertise to fans during games.
The following eight sportsbooks were awarded licenses in North Carolina and have partnered with a sports franchise or league in the state.
- bet365: Charlotte Hornets
- BetMGM: Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Caesars Sportsbook: Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Cherokee
- DraftKings: NASCAR
- Fanatics: Carolina Hurricanes
- FanDuel: PGA Tour, Carolina Panthers
- ENN Sports Interactive (ESPN BET): Quail Hollow Club
- Underdog Sports: McConnell Golf
Where's the money going?
Sports wagering operators have to pay a tax rate of 18% for the privilege of being licensed, which results in more revenue for the state.
The North Carolina General Assembly's legislative fiscal note, breaks down the money like this:
- $2.0 million to the Department of Health and Human Services for its gambling addiction education and treatment programs
- $1.0 million to North Carolina Amateur Sports for local governments or nonprofits to purchase youth sports equipment or to provide for public facility upgrades or improvements that would benefit youth sports
- $300,000 each to 13 University of North Carolina constituent institutions to support college athletic departments
- $1.0 million to the North Carolina Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council for grants to assist sports teams with travel expenses and incentive grants to attract sporting events for nonprofessional athletes
- Of the remaining amount:
- 20% to be distributed equally among the 13 UNC institutions discussed earlier to support, not supplant, their collegiate athletic departments
- 30% to the North Carolina Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund
- 50% to the General Fund
“Let’s put aside some of this money to make sure people can get the treatment they need, and so that the revenue goes to the people who need it the most," NC State Representative Wesley Harris said.
Harris says while the new money is benefiting the state, in the grand scheme of things, it won't solve all the gaps in the state budget.
“Our state budget is $33 billion a year," Harris said. "It’s not a huge amount of money.”
The first year of sports betting in the state is projected to reach more than $6 billion dollars, with 1 in 6 North Carolinians planning to bet once a week, according to Bet Carolina Survey.
“You should feel confident that your money is safe with these operators,” Eric Ramsey a Lead Writer for Legal Sports Report, said.
If you find yourself wanting to place a bet with a licensed sportsbook, experts offer some advice.
“Use those bet credits practice making bets with low risk and find a sweet spot, "Tyler Andrews the Managing Editor for NC Sharp, said.
“Most people watching this aren’t going to get rich from sports betting," Ramsey said.
Addiction concerns
The excitement for sports gambling has its critics, though. Concerns about addiction have been raised with sportsbooks running swaths of ads to promote their business, many offering promos bonus bets and other incentives to lure new customers.
"Online gambling, sports gambling is the equivalent of gambling heroin," Les Bernal with Stop Predatory Gambling, said. "You are going to unleash an incredible epidemic of child gambling because of the amount of advertising that comes along with online sports gambling."
Betting apps have warnings encouraging users to limit their gambling with users able to adjust the settings to limit how much they can bet, deposit into their account and the amount of time they can spend using the app.
Playing the lottery is a form of gambling. If you are concerned about your gamblingor worried about a friend, you can call the NC Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-877-718-5543. You can also contact the National Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
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