Mobile sports betting in North Carolina goes live March 11
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Gov. Roy Cooper signed HB347 into law legalizing mobile sports betting at Spectrum Center in Uptown last June. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Mobile sports betting goes live in North Carolina on Monday, March 11, at noon.
Driving the news: The North Carolina Lottery Commission unanimously approved the start date Wednesday morning.
Why it matters: Mobile sports betting will be up and running for the ACC and the NCAA basketball tournaments.
Catch up quick: Gov. Roy Cooper signed House Bill 347: Sports Wagering/Horse Racing Wagering into law last June, but that didn't mean people could immediately start legally gambling on their phones.
- The law gave the NC Lottery Commission a year from the date it was signed to establish a set of ground rules.
- You can bet on professional, college, electronic and Olympic sports, plus horse racing.
Details: People age 21 and older may establish an account with a licensed operator and deposit funds into said account on their mobile device starting at noon on March 1. They can then place bets 10 days later.
- Eight companies have received operator licenses: FanDuel, BETMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, bet365, ESPN BET, Underdog Sports Wagering and Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
- Of note: In-person betting and betting on horse racing will have a different start date. Rules are being drafted for the latter, and the former will be considered on a case-by-case basis, per the commission.
Five of the state's eight sites eligible to have an in-person sports book have announced betting partners — a required step for running an in-person sports betting operation:
- In the Charlotte area, the Charlotte Hornets (Bet365), Quail Hollow Club (ESPN BET) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (BetMGM) have secured partners. Tepper Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC, has not.
- Sedgefield Country Club (Underdog Sports) in Greensboro and the Carolina Hurricanes (Fanatics Sportsbook) have, while North Wilkesboro Speedway and WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary have not.
- Of note: Operators must work with a facility, league or team in order to be considered for a license.
By the numbers: Operators will be taxed at a rate of 18%, which will generate tax revenue for the state.
- The tax proceeds will go toward supporting youth sports, the NC Department of Health and Human Services, and other causes, according to the state.
Between the lines: Delaying the start of mobile sports betting from Jan. 8 to March meant the state will miss out on tax revenue from the Super Bowl.
Yes, but: Missing the upcoming Super Bowl is not a big deal, UNC Charlotte economics professor Craig Depken tells Axios. Rather, the goal is to create a system for legal sports betting that won't result in lingering problems down the road because authorization was rushed for one NFL cycle.
- "This one cycle is not that important," Depken says.
The bottom line: "We are telling the public we are ready for sports wagering," Sterl Carpenter, deputy executive director gaming compliance and sports betting, said during the Wednesday meeting.
Editor's note: This story was originally published on Jan. 24, 2024 and was updated on March 1, 2024 to include the approved operators.