North Carolina Gambling

The green flag has dropped on North Carolina gambling, with online betting legalized and casino expansion on the horizon. NCSharp has you covered for all things legal gambling, betting, casinos and their sweeps alternatives and more. Come on in and stay a while!

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Sportsbooks
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1
Bet $1, Double Your Winnings
On Next 10 Wagers
Caesars Sportsbook Review
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2
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Get $300
In Bonus Bets
FanDuel Sportsbook Review
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  • Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+
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3
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In Bonus Bets
BetMGM Sportsbook Review
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4
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Bet365 Sportsbook Review
  • Bet $5 Get $150 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose
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5
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Fanatics Sportsbook Review
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6
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DraftKings Sportsbook Review
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Affiliate Disclosure: If you place a bet at a sportsbook or online casino through one of our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This may influence the gambling operators we list; however, the editors and writers of this website operate at their sole discretion, and their opinions are not beholden to any outside entity or organization. We recommend only legal and trusted gambling operators.

Latest North Carolina gambling news

harrash cherokee casino sign

Virginia’s New Casinos Spark Call for Commercial Gaming in North Carolina

January 10, 2025
North Carolina residents shouldn't have to cross into Virginia to experience top-level casino gaming, says industry watchdog Jim Longworth.
the word appeal being magnified by a magnifying glass

North Carolina Court Of Appeals Upholds Skill Games Ban For The State

January 3, 2025
A North Carolina Court of Appeals voted to uphold a Robeson County ban on unlicensed electronic gaming machines, aka "skill games."
Sports Betting Revenue Money Basketball Football Soccer Ball

North Carolina Reports Highest Monthly Sports Betting Total: $589 Million in October

November 28, 2024
North Carolina sportsbooks accepted $589 million in sports wagers in October, setting a record. The previous high was $569 million in April. The state gathered $8,758,757 in taxes based on that activity, which was most certainly helped by the first full month of NFL and college football action, as well as the Major League Baseball […]
Landline-style touch-tone telephone, gray plastic on pink background.

Problem Gambling Helpline Fielding Increased Calls in North Carolina Following Sports Betting Launch

November 7, 2024
Inevitably, new gambling products mean more gambling problems, but the North Carolina Problem Gambling Helpline has risen to the challenge.

Legal gambling options in North Carolina

Online sports betting

North Carolina online sportsbooks are now live and accepting bets. The state’s eight sportsbooks launched on March 11, after receiving final approval for online gambling in NC. New customers 21 and over have their pick of some excellent NC sports betting sign-up bonuses and other promos for betting on the NBA playoffs, the NHL playoffs, Major League Baseball and beyond.

Retail sports betting

North Carolina bettors can place sports bets in person at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River in the western part of the state, and at Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain just outside of Charlotte. The ball is rolling on retail sportsbooks at pro sports venues, but that process is still in the early stages.

Social and sweepstakes casinos

North Carolinians can play a variety of casino games online at social and sweepstakes casinos. These North Carolina online gambling sites look similar to casinos but can be played for free or to earn cash prizes. They use sweeps currencies and while these two currencies have no cash value, they are used on the site to play games and can be redeemed for cash prizes. In most cases, you have to over 18 to play.

Casino gambling

North Carolina online casinos are not legal and retail casino expansion won’t get legislative attention until at least 2025. When that time comes, there’s even a fair chance that online casino legislation will get introduced. There are three tribal casinos that allow for gambling in NC. Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River each feature slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, WSOP poker rooms, and other casino favorites, while Catawba Two Kings Casino has slots and electronic table games.

Online lottery

The North Carolina Educational Lottery is especially popular, and it has become even more so since the state began allowing online sales of lottery tickets. If you’re over 18, you can purchase tickets online for six draw games. You can use the NC Education Lottery website or download the app to purchase tickets. North Carolina was a relative latecomer when it came to introducing a state-run lottery, with tickets going on sale in 2006. However, the state was one of the first in the country to allow online lottery ticket sales, doing so in 2013.

Live and online poker

Poker players in the state can play online at Global Poker, a sweepstakes-style site as North Carolina gambling is not legal for poker yet. For live poker players, there are two especially popular poker rooms at both Harrah’s casinos. Harrah’s Cherokee also frequently hosts WSOP Circuit stops, with as many as four in a year.

Daily fantasy sports

Like many other states, North Carolina has no specific legislation authorizing daily fantasy sports and, thus, no framework to regulate it or collect taxes on it. North Carolina gambling regulators added and then removed a definition to state sports betting regulations that would have outlawed prop-based fantasy contests. Regulators may laternow decide on prop-based fantasy games.

At the moment, people in North Carolina are free to enter the contests at DraftKings, FanDuel, and other sites, including prop-based fantasy sites.

Charitable gaming and bingo

Various types of charitable North Carolina gaming is allowed, the most popular being bingo. Nonprofit organizations can apply for a charitable bingo license to offer games to produce revenue. These organizations can also offer a limited number of raffles per year. In addition, in 2019, the state legalized game nights as another way for charitable organizations to raise funds, although such events can only happen east of Interstate 26 (i.e., not in proximity to the Cherokee casinos in western NC). Bingo fans can also play beach bingo at various locations for small prizes.

Paying taxes on gambling winnings

Don’t forget that North Carolina counts gambling winnings as income. That means you have to pay taxes on North Carolina gambling winnings. Check out our page on how to report and pay taxes on your gambling winnings in North Carolina.

NC gambling resources

Remember to check back often to always be on top on the latest North Carolina gambling news and updates.