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!
Get $300
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
Dragon Train Game, Derailed by Nevada Judge, Still Available in NC
October 7, 2024HBCUs In North Carolina Receive $1M Gift From FanDuel Sportsbook
October 4, 2024NC Lottery Commisson Updates Guidance On eSports, Parimutuel Wagering
October 2, 2024VIP Recounts First Slots Tournament at Harrah’s Cherokee
September 27, 2024Legal 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
- North Carolina State & Federal Gambling Taxes
- North Carolina Education Lottery
- North Carolina Council on Problem Gambling
- NC Problem Gambling Program
- Alcohol Law Enforcement
Remember to check back often to always be on top on the latest North Carolina gambling news and updates.