While North Carolina online casinos aren’t legal yet, sweeps casinos offer slots, blackjack, roulette and other games online as an alternative.
At the moment, no gambling discussion in the state is more contentious than the one around legalizing commercial casinos. A failure in 2023 to legalize commercial casinos in three counties left many North Carolinians with a bad taste in their mouths. As a result, lawmakers put off any discussion of casino expansion in 2024. That makes 2025 the next opportunity for lawmakers to propose North Carolina casino legislation.
Read on for a complete overview of online casinos in North Carolina, including what’s available now and what may be coming in the future.
North Carolina Online Casino Alternative Options
Now that sports betting is legal are North Carolina online casinos legal?
No. North Carolina nline casinos are not currently legal, and the launch of online sports betting does not change the laws surrounding them. However, some lawmakers have shown an appetite for igaming and could take up the question of online casinos in the next couple of years.
Will North Caroline online casinos ever be legal?
There is a growing chance the general assembly will consider online casinos. With the resignation of Rep. Jason Saine, a top proponent of igaming in North Carolina, the state will also need a new online casino champion. However, should we see one or two more states launch online casinos, North Carolina could follow suit.
If and when the legislature does, North Carolinians can rest assured that all major online casino operators will be on board, tying their operations to the sports betting apps. That includes ubiquitous gambling brands like BetMGM Casino and Caesars Casino, and sportsbook brands that have successfully moved into the space, like DraftKings Casino and FanDuel Casino.
Sweeps Alternative to North Carolina Online Casino
Two legal options for North Carolina residents who want to play casino games online are sweeps cash casinos. These sites feature online slots most frequently, although some also offer a selection of table games.
These sites operate much like regular online casinos, only instead of using real money in the games, they employ virtual currencies. The best sites feature the same high-level graphics, animation, and sounds you find at regular online casinos or in-person video slot machines, creating an immersive experience. You can typically play many games for free, including free online slots; in some cases, the sites offer chances to redeem winnings for cash prizes.
Here are a few of the more popular online casino alternatives available in NC:
Pulsz
Pulsz is a popular site from Yellow Social Interactive. Though relatively new, it has added games at a rapid clip and now features more than 200 slot titles. Pulsz also offers a few table games, including blackjack, roulette, and baccarat.
Chumba Casino
A Virtual Gaming Worlds site, Chumba Casino has over 80 casino games. Most are slots, but you’ll also find blackjack, roulette, and video poker.
LuckyLand Slots
Also from Virtual Gaming Worlds, LuckyLand Slots is a slot-centric sweepstakes site that features over 30 games.
Funzpoints
Funzpoints is one more sweepstakes-style site that offers a way to play casino games online. From Woopla Inc., the site has over 30 slots, a keno game, and daily jackpot drawings that provide an additional way to win.
Funrize Casino
Funrize Casino is a new NC social casino offering an entertaining and legal way to play online slots.
Global Poker
Those are the most popular social and sweepstakes sites available. In addition, for North Carolina poker players, there is also Global Poker, an online poker site that employs a similar model using virtual currencies. The site features both regular ring games and multi-table tournaments.
The difference between legal online casinos and offshore sites
You may encounter online casinos advertising in a way that suggests they are legal for people in North Carolina. However, such sites are located outside of NC and outside of the US entirely. Such “offshore casinos,” therefore, are not beholden to either North Carolina or US laws and regulations.
Offshore sites present significant risks, and not just because of what NC law considers to be illegal online gambling. If you were to deposit funds and play on any of these offshore sites and then encounter problems regarding game integrity, suspicions of fraud or cheating or issues with accessing your account, the sites aren’t necessarily obligated to provide support or even respond to your complaints. That’s because they are regulated elsewhere, outside of North Carolina and don’t have to abide by NC gambling laws or regulations.
Legal, regulated online casinos conduct themselves differently. In states that allow them, the sites must follow regulators’ guidelines, and they risk losing their license to operate if they don’t. Given that North Carolina has no legal online casinos, it’s best not to risk playing on offshore sites from the state. If you’re looking for a legal online alternative, see our list of social and sweepstakes sites above.
Retail casinos in North Carolina
North Carolina has three tribal casinos where you can play various casino games in person.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is the only federally recognized Native American tribe based in the state. The EBCI currently operate two casinos on their lands in the more mountainous western part of the state. Meanwhile, the Catawba Indian Nation is another federally recognized tribe based just over the state line in South Carolina. The Catawba have lands elsewhere, and after securing land in trust in Kings Mountain, they were able to open a casino there.
The state is also considering a fourth tribal casino for the Lumbee Tribe in the southeastern part of the state.
No commercial casinos currently exist in the state though the state legislature has shown interest in expanding commercial casino gambling in three counties: Anson, Rockingham and Nash.
North Carolina casino overview
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort
By far the largest casino in NC, the venue at Harrah’s Cherokee features a 150,000-square-foot gambling floor with more than 3,000 slot machines and over 160 table games. The casino additionally features a Caesars Sportsbook with several ticket windows, self-serve kiosks and a 90-foot game wall. There is also a 32-table World Series of Poker-branded poker room where the casino frequently hosts WSOP Circuit events. Players at Harrah’s Cherokee can also access Caesars Rewards programs.
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River is also situated in the mountains in the western corner of NC in Murphy, about an hour’s drive from Cherokee and very close to both the Tennessee and Georgia borders. The casino is smaller, with about 60,000 square feet of gambling space, more than 1,000 slots, more than 60 table games, and a Caesars Sportsbook. It recently opened a WSOP poker room. Valley River players can also access Caesars Rewards.
Catawba Two Kings Casino
Catawba Two Kings Casino is the newest NC casino. Located in Kings Mountain, about a half-hour west of Charlotte, the facility is open though still under construction. The casino presently offers 1,000 slots plus some electronic table games and a sportsbook in about 30,000 square feet of gambling space. Present plans include expanding that to nearly 200,000 square feet and adding more slots and 50 table games. The Catawba elected a new chief in July 2023, and he has said that casino development is a top priority. Two Kings players have access to the casino’s exclusive Lucky North Club.
North Carolina online casino games
North Carolina casinos feature a variety of popular casino games. The selections vary from property to property, and as mentioned, Catawba Two Kings Casino has only slots and electronic table games at present. Meanwhile, you’ll find most or all of the following casino favorites at the two Cherokee casinos:
- Slots (including progressive jackpots)
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Craps
- Baccarat
- Pai Gow
- Three Card Poker
- Let It Ride
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
- Mississippi Stud
- Keno
- Video poker
- Electronic table games
Final thoughts on North Carolina online casinos
The legislature will almost certainly address commercial casinos in the next legislative session. However, the success of any legislative agenda will rely heavily on how lawmakers propose to involve key stakeholders in the communities where casino development is planned.
NC online casinos may be a few years off, but now that North Carolina has made the move to legalize sports betting, the door may be opened to further gambling expansion.
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