RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolinians are moving closer to being allowed to bet on sports online.
The NC Senate passed a second reading of House Bill 347 38-11. The Senate will hold a formal third reading vote on Thursday but the result is unlikely to change.
The Senate amended several parts of the bill since it passed the NC House in March.
The House will now have to vote on whether to approve or reject the Senate’s changes. The date for that vote is unknown at this time. If approved by the House, the bill will need to be signed by Gov. Cooper to become law.
With this bill in place, the North Carolina Lottery Commission will award 12 licenses for operators to take online sports bets for any adult in North Carolina.
Additionally, eight facilities in the state will be able to operate a sportsbook:
- Bank of America Stadium
- Spectrum Center
- Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Quail Hollow Country Club
- North Wilkesboro Speedway
- PNC Arena
- WakeMed Soccer Park
- Sedgefield Country Club
Click here to sign up for the daily Wake Up Charlotte newsletter
One of the changes that the Senate made to the House version of the bill was increasing the tax rate from 14% to 18%. Operators will also not be allowed to deduct promotions or credits.
The Senate also added UNC-Charlotte, Appalachian State, and East Carolina to the list of universities that will receive $300,000 annually from license fees and taxes collected on the bill.
The list of schools that will receive money is:
- UNC-Charlotte
- Appalachian State
- East Carolina University
- NC A&T University
- NC Central University
- UNC-Asheville
- UNC-Greensboro
- UNC-Pembroke
- UNC-Wilmington
- Western Carolina University
- Winston-Salem University
The bill also allocates $2 million to the NC Department of Health and Human Services, $1 million to North Carolina Amateur Sports, and $1 million to the North Carolina Heritage Advisory Council.
Online sports gambling was legalized after a 2018 Supreme Court decision. Since then, 29 states have legalized online sports betting.
North Carolina’s attempts to legalize online sports betting began in 2019. The Senate passed a sports betting bill in 2021 but the measure failed by a single vote in the House in 2022. Sports gambling is currently only allowed at three tribal casinos.
For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app.
Playing the lottery is a form of gambling. If you are concerned about your gambling or worried about a friend, you can call the NC Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-877-718-5543. You can also contact the National Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.