What’s Next for North Carolina Sports Betting?

With North Carolina sports betting legislation failing in the last scheduled legislative session of 2022, it is unlikely any sports betting bills will be passed in 2022. The two bills that got voted on each failed by one vote, with each also having legislators who did not vote at all.

The plan is to push the same or adapted bills again in the first 2023 legislative session. The question remains, though, what will be done differently to ensure the passing of sports betting legislation in the Tar Heel state in 2023.

2023 North Carolina Sports Betting Legislation Push

There are several key points to how the legislators supporting North Carolina sports betting will push harder and more effectively in 2023.

  1. Sports betting legislation will have the support of many of North Carolina’s professional sports organizations. Many professional sports teams in other states have installed retail sportsbooks in their stadiums, which is the hope of many of the North Carolina professional sports franchises. The NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, NFL’s Carolina Panthers, and NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes have all voiced support for sports betting legislation.
  2. Further understanding of the benefits for North Carolina. Many legislators do not understand how valuable sports betting tax revenue would be for the state — not to mention the creation of more jobs. It is also ignorant to think that sports betting is not happening in the state already, and this would give the state government a chance to take control of it. 
  3. The mid-term elections will undoubtedly change at least a handful of legislators. With new legislators in place, it could be enough to tip the scales of the narrow margin by which recent sports betting bills failed.

What Can North Carolina Sports Bettors Do in the Meantime?

There are options to legally place wagers for those who are residents of North Carolina.

  1. With several surrounding states having legal sports wagering, North Carolinians can travel to place wagers in surrounding states that allow sports betting. Tennessee and Virginia are two states bordering North Carolina to the west and the north that one could travel to and place a wager. Also, with over 20 states in the country that have legalized sports betting, if you are traveling for any reason and find yourself in a state where sports betting is legal, then go ahead and place a bet.
  2. Place a wager at one of the state’s legal retail sportsbooks. Harrah’s Cherokee casinos in western North Carolina both have retail sportsbooks. One is in Murphy, and the other is in Cherokee. There are also plans for a third retail sportsbook to be open in North Carolina by the start of football season. The Catawba Nation, which operates Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain, is building a new retail sportsbook as a part of their temporary casino location while their full-scale casino is being built.

Should legislation eventually come to fruition, state bettors can also look forward to a whole host of competitive online sports betting promos in NC that will likely come their way.

AP Photo/Gerry Broome

About the Author

Caleb Tallman

Caleb Tallman is a Journalist working with NC Sharp and has been writing sports and sports gambling content since 2019. Caleb has also written for various other publications, mainly as a ghostwriter. With solid experience and a wealth of sports gambling knowledge, whether legal information or betting predictions, Caleb provides everything sports bettors could be looking for.