RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A new law will be added to North Carolina’s history books on Wednesday, paving the way to legalized sports betting.
The signing day comes exactly one week after the bill was given the green light by the General Assembly. House Bill 347, also known as the Sports Wagering/Horse Race Wagering Bill, will allow people to begin placing bets early next year.
In a brief announcement about Gov. Roy Cooper’s schedule for Wednesday, his office confirmed he will be signing the bill into law.
The House passed the bill in a 69-44 vote. Lawmakers have publicly debated the issue since late 2021. A previous effort to legalize mobile sports betting failed last year in the House by a single vote.
Gov. Cooper has openly said that he supports legalization.
The bill will allow people to bet online on professional, collegiate, amateur and electronic sports and to place cash bets in person at professional venues like PNC Arena or Bank of America Stadium. It also allows bets on horse racing. The state would impose an 18% privilege tax on sports betting operators.
Betting could be legal as soon as Jan. 8, but the bill gives the North Carolina Lottery Commission the discretion to delay that if additional time is needed. Betting would have to become legal within 12 months of the bill becoming law.
Steve Bittenbender, a gaming analyst with BetCarolina.com, said that even though in-person betting will be allowed at certain venues, online betting will be the primary focus.
“The trends have shown in other states that online dominates the market. Ohio, which is very similar in size to the state of North Carolina, it is well above 95%,” he said.
He added the state presents significant opportunities for betting operators.
“It’s a very large market in North Carolina. It’s probably a top-five market as far as population goes,” he said. “It hasn’t really gained a whole lot of traction in the South. That’s probably going to be the next growth market here.”