The exciting world of online sports betting is about to open up to the people of North Carolina at noon on March 11th.

This exciting development in North Carolina’s betting industry is set to net the state a projected $64.6 million dollars during the first year of operations. This welcome boost to the economy could even pave the way for other betting markets to open up in the future.

Like online sports betting, online casinos are an extremely lucrative business because of the convenience and excitement they offer players. 

But how likely is it that North Carolina will pass legislation that allows operators to launch online casinos in the state? Keep reading to find out more about how likely it is, and what North Carolina bettors can expect if it is.

Online Casinos in North Carolina

The likelihood of North Carolina passing legislation that would allow operators to run online casinos will be helped by the legalization of online sports betting.

As the industry grows and the state benefits from the additional revenue, campaigners may find it easier to persuade key figures. 2024 has a short legislative calendar and it is highly unlikely anything could be agreed this year.

However, as other states open themselves to the possibility, and existing states being used as case studies about how legislation would work, it is not outside the bounds of possibility that talks could progress in 2025.

Games North Carolina Bettors Can Look Forward to if Online Casinos are Approved

Modern online casinos make use of state-of-the-art technology to offer customers an immersive gaming experience on the move. There are a variety of games that can be played, including;

Table Games

Traditional casino games including blackjack, poker, roulette, baccarat, and craps can be played online, with operators using live or AI-generated dealers to provide a great user experience.

Slots

Slot machines are an extremely popular online casino game and come in a variety of styles and themes to appeal to different customers. 

Slots offer players the opportunity to win huge sums of money for relatively low stakes and the games are designed for fast-paced, exciting action. 

Speciality Games

Online casinos will also offer speciality categories as betting expert Vlad Grindu explains. Fish table games are a great example of this and are popular among gamers who have to find and shoot different species of fish that differ in value. Finding fish games online is made significantly easier when online casinos are legal. However, offshore betting facilities often provide ways for bettors to enjoy different betting markets and casino games without breaking the law. These sites also often offer exciting games like keno, live game shows, and plinko, giving bettors a massive selection of games to choose from.

Current Betting Laws in North Carolina

Online sports betting will be a great addition to existing legal betting markets in North Carolina. These include;

Sports Betting

In-person sports betting has been legal in North Carolina since 2019 with casinos operated by federally recognized tribes permitted to open sportsbooks.

2023 saw an expansion to this legislation with a total of 8 new sportsbooks permitted to open in agreed sports and entertainment centers.

Charitable Raffles and Bingo

Charitable raffles and bingo games are permitted by recognized non-profit organizations in order to raise funds. Licenses are issued by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety with a maximum of two bingo games per week and a $500 prize limit.

Raffles can only be run twice every year with a cash prize limit of $10,000 and the value of non-cash prizes limited to $50,000.

The current regulations were put in motion in 1979, with further amendments made in 1983.

Indian Gaming

The Catawba Indian Nation and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians operate three casinos in North Carolina. 

The Cherokee agreed on a compact in 1994 that saw the construction of the $82 million Harrah’s Cherokee which opened in 1997. Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River, their second casino, was opened in 2015.

The Catawba’s Catawba Two Kings Casino opened in 2021 at a temporary facility.

 

Lottery

The North Carolina Education Lottery was approved in 2005 as a way to benefit education in the state. The lottery was launched in 2006 and has raised over $10 billion since.

The lottery revenue is split with 7% going to retailers, 4% going towards sales costs, 51% being paid out in winnings, and 38% going to education projects.

50% of the revenue that goes to education is used for reducing class sizes, with 40% going towards school construction. The remaining 10% is distributed as college scholarships.

The lottery offers customers a variety of scratch cards and draw games including Carolina Pick 3 and Pick 4, Fireball, and Carolina Cash 5.

 

Conclusion

While the legalization of online casinos in North Carolina is not on the horizon, there is a feeling of hope that the pending success of online sports betting will help.

There are just a handful of states that currently allow online casinos, but the popularity of offshore operators shows there is a big market for it, and that states are missing out on valuable income.