On Oct. 27, the NC Lottery Commission will hold its first public hearing on sports betting rules.
The NCLC will not livestream or broadcast the hearing, but they will provide a transcript as a public record.
The first round of sports betting rules put forth by the NCLC’s Sports Betting Committee include “application rules that apply to all license types under the Commission’s jurisdiction.”
How to participate in the NCLC Public Hearing
The only way to watch the first NCLC public hearing on North Carolina online sports betting rules is to attend in person.
The hearing will take place at the North Carolina State Lottery Commission Headquarters on Friday, Oct. 27 at 9:00 a.m. The address is:
2728 Capital Boulevard, Suite 144
Raleigh, NC 27604
Under discussion will be rules addressing deadlines and timeframes for various application processes and a lengthy section of sports betting and parimutuel wagering definitions.
For those interested in giving an oral presentation at the public hearing, the NC Lottery sports betting page clarifies that they must register to speak at least one day before the hearing at a web portal provided on the page.
Prop-style fantasy contests outlawed under new rules
While most of the rulemaking outlined in the first round of NCLC sports betting rules and regulations inspires little debate, a definition for “fantasy sports” that outlaws prop-style fantasy markets could incite discussion.
The NCLC has seemingly carved out daily fantasy sports brands that offer prop-style fantasy contests where fantasy players compete against the fantasy sports site and not other players.
The Coalition For Fantasy Sports, which represents two brands that offer prop-style fantasy contests, released a statement after the NCLC published these rules. The statement indicated that an understanding was in place after House Bill 347–North Carolina’s online sports betting bill–passed.
The CFS stated that North Carolina lawmakers ensured them that “our contests would continue to be offered as fantasy sports when it passed its sports wagering bill just a few months ago.”
Without clarifying what they meant by “contests,” the assumption is that the CFS is referring to the types of player-versus-house fantasy markets outlawed by the NCLC’s rules.
Brands like PrizePicks, UnderDog or even a representative from the Coalition for Fantasy Sports could speak at the meeting on redrafting the definitions for fantasy sports provided by the NCLC.
Public comment period to follow
For those wishing to submit formal comments on the NCLC’s first round of rules but unwilling or unable to speak at the Oct. 27 public hearing, the NC Lottery Sports Betting page also provides a link for people to make a public comment on the rules.
The deadline for public comment is Nov. 1. At this point, the NCLC Sports Betting Committee will assess all comments before proposing its second round of sports betting rules.
About the Author
