North Carolina gambling is officially live! Whether you’re interested in the latest updates on legal sports betting, want to discover the best casino experiences, or are curious about fun and rewarding sweepstakes alternatives, NCSharp has you covered. Our team keeps you informed with expert insights, breaking news, and helpful guides. Dive in today and explore your options.
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Legal Gambling Guide for North Carolina
Online Sports Betting
North Carolina online sportsbooks are live and accepting bets! Eight sportsbooks launched on March 11, 2024, following final approval for online gambling in NC. With these new platforms, North Carolina bettors aged 21 and over now have access to top-tier sports betting from the comfort of home, featuring trusted names like Caesars, BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and more.
These platforms offer a wide variety of betting options, competitive odds, and exclusive sports betting promos, making it easier than ever for NC residents to get in on the action. Whether it’s the Super Bowl, March Madness, or another major event, NC bettors can enjoy a wide range of betting options throughout the year.
Retail Sports Betting
North Carolina bettors can place in-person sports bets at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River, both located in the western part of the state, as well as at Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain, just outside Charlotte. These casinos offer a range of betting options for those looking to enjoy live sports wagering.
Additionally, plans for retail sportsbooks at professional sports venues, such as Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, are currently in motion, though the process remains in its early stages and may take some time to fully develop.
Social and Sweepstakes Casinos
North Carolinians can enjoy a wide range of casino games online through social and sweepstakes casinos like McLuck, High 5, Pulsz, RealPrize, and others. These North Carolina sweepstakes sites mirror traditional casinos but allow players to play for free or win cash prizes.
Sweepstakes casinos use virtual currencies — often called sweeps coins and gold coins — which have no direct cash value but can be used to play games, with sweeps coins redeemable for real cash prizes. Most platforms require players to be 18 or older to participate.
Retail Casinos
As of 2025, NC online casinos remain illegal, and retail casino expansion has yet to gain legislative momentum. For now, North Carolina offers three tribal casinos where gambling is permitted. Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River feature a wide range of casino favorites, including slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, and WSOP poker rooms. Meanwhile, Catawba Two Kings Casino offers slots and electronic table games, giving players more ways to enjoy casino gaming.
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 in 2013. If you’re over 18, you can purchase tickets online for six draw games from the NC Education Lottery website or the mobile app. North Carolina was a relative latecomer when it came to introducing a state-run lottery, with tickets going on sale in 2006, but it was also one of the first states to allow online lottery ticket sales.
Live and Online Poker
Real money online poker is not yet legal in North Carolina, but players can still enjoy poker online at Global Poker, a sweepstakes-style site. It provides North Carolina residents a legal and regulated way to enjoy online poker games while they await future developments in state legislation.
For those who prefer live poker, both Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River offer popular poker rooms. Harrah’s Cherokee also regularly hosts WSOP Circuit events, with as many as four stops held annually.
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 later decide on prop-based fantasy games.
For now, residents can freely participate in fantasy contests, including prop-based games, on platforms like DraftKings, FanDuel, and other sites.
Charitable Gaming and Bingo
A variety of charitable gaming options are allowed in North Carolina, with bingo being the most popular. Nonprofit organizations can apply for a charitable bingo license to host games that generate revenue. These organizations are also permitted to hold a limited number of raffles each year. In 2019, the state further expanded charitable gaming by legalizing game nights as an additional fundraising tool. However, these events are restricted to areas east of Interstate 26, away from the Cherokee casinos in western NC. Additionally, bingo enthusiasts can enjoy 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.
Play Smart, Play Responsibly
Gambling in North Carolina offers a variety of options, both online and in person. Whether you’re looking to visit one of the state’s in-person gambling venues, bet on sports online, or try your luck with online casino games at sweepstakes casinos, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about NC online gambling. Just remember, the most important thing is to play responsibly and have fun!
Latest North Carolina gambling news
South Carolina’s Retail Casino Bill Could Reverse Cross-Border Gambling Relationship
March 24, 2025
North Carolina Lottery Commission Hints at Potential Gaming Expansion
March 21, 2025
North Carolina Sports Betting Market Celebrates First Anniversary With Impressive Financial Totals
March 14, 2025