What you need to know about sports betting in North Carolina

Kansas City and San Francisco meet Feb. 11 for the Super Bowl.

And it will be the last one in North Carolina where adults in the state can't bet on games from their phone or other electronic device.

State lawmakers passed legislation to legalize online sports betting (and in-person betting at select sports venues across the state) in June 2023. Gov. Roy Cooper signed it into law.

After months of setting rules and regulations, the North Carolina Lottery Commission announced that mobile sports betting can begin at noon on March 11. Customers can create and fund accounts on March 1.

Do you have other questions about sports betting in North Carolina? Email Brian Murphy at bmurphy@wral.com.

Can you bet on sports in North Carolina?

You can bet on sports at the state's three casinos, two in the far-western part of the state and one in Kings Mountain, but you cannot bet online. State lawmakers approved online sports betting earlier this year. The start date, which will be set by the North Carolina Lottery Commission, is no sooner than Jan. 8, 2024 and no later than June 14, 2024.

Can you bet online in North Carolina?

You will be able to on March 11.

How do you bet on sports in North Carolina?

Currently, you can bet in-person at the three tribal casinos. At some point next year, you will be able to bet online through those 12 providers. The bill also allows for in-person sports wagering at up to eight major sports venues across the state, including PNC Arena in Raleigh and Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary. Those facilities will have the ability to allow in-person sports betting.

Other venues that could have in-person betting facilities are Bank of America Stadium, Spectrum Center and Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Wilkesboro Speedway and Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro.

The facilities are all home to a team in MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL and NWSL, annually hosts more than one NASCAR national touring race or hosts a professional golf tournament with more than 50,000 live spectators expected to attend based on similar prior tournaments.

Betting 101: Sports betting terms defined

Does North Carolina have casinos with sports betting?

Yes, Three casinos in North Carolina take sports bets. The Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain is located off I-85 near the South Carolina border. Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort is located in Cherokee and Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel is located in Murphy.

What sports can you bet on in North Carolina?

The bill allows betting on professional, college, amateur and electronic sports. Betting on horse races is also allowed. The North Carolina Lottery Commission released a catalog of sports and leagues that bettors can wager on. Sports and leagues can be added to the list.

College sports is defined as an athletic or sporting competition in which as least one participant is a team or contestant competing on behalf of or under the sponsorship of a public or private institution of post-secondary education.

Amateur sports is defined as a sporting competition that is not a professional sport, college sport or youth sport. This term includes domestic, international and Olympic sporting competitions.

Professional sports is defined as an athletic or sporting competition involving at least two competitors who receive compensation for participating in such event.

The bill does not allow betting on youth sports, which are defined as an event in which the majority of participants are under the age of 18 or are competing on behalf or under the sponsorship of one or more public or private preschool, elementary, middle or secondary schools.

The term youth sports does not include the following: professional sports or sporting events that occur under the sponsorship of national or international athletic bodies that are not educational institutions and that include participants both over and under the age of 18.

The law says betting on the occurrence of injuries and penalties, the outcome of disciplinary proceedings against participants in a sporting event and the outcome of replay reviews is prohibited.

Can you bet on horse racing in North Carolina?

You will be allowed to bet on horse racing in North Carolina, but not by March 11. The lottery commission is still working on its rules and regulations surrounding horse racing.

What is the North Carolina Lottery Commission?

The North Carolina Lottery Commission is a nine-member board, with members appointed to five-year terms by either the governor or the legislature. Under state law, the commission is tasked with licensing and regulating sports betting. The commission also oversees the operations of the state lottery.

The lottery also has an executive director and other staff that handle the day-to-day operations. The commission hired Sterl Carpenter, a Massachusetts regulator with more than 30 years of experience in the gaming industry, to be the deputy executive director of gaming compliance and sports betting.

The North Carolina Education Lottery has a website where it provides updates on sports betting implementation.

What apps can you use to bet in North Carolina?

Nine operators have applied for licenses in North Carolina as of the end of January. The lottery commission has not yet licensed any operators, but all are expected to be approved in time for the March 11 start.

Are FanDuel and DraftKings legal in North Carolina?

FanDuel and DraftKings, market leaders in mobile sports betting, have applied for operator licenses. So, too, has ESPN Bet, Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, Fanatics Sportsbook, Underdog Sports and bet365.

What are the limits on sports betting in North Carolina?

Bettors must be at least 21 years old and must create an account with a mobile sports operator to be online.

Outside of the sports and events specifically prohibited in the law, there are no limits. Individual operators can set their own limits on how much bettors can wager.

Where does the money go from sports bets placed in North Carolina?

There is an 18% tax on gross wagering revenues and 1% of the total pari-mutuel wagers placed on horse racing. The bill allocates money from license fees and taxes to several different areas after the Department of Revenue and Lottery Commission receive money for expenses.

• $2 million annually for Department of Health and Human Services for gambling addiction education and treatment programs
• $1 million annually to the North Carolina Amateur Sports for grants to local governments or non-profit organizations to expand opportunities for youth sports participation. Organizations in a single county can receive no more than 1% of the total funding.
• $300,000 to the athletic departments at Appalachian State, East Carolina, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Pembroke, UNC-Wilmington, Western Carolina and Winston-Salem State.
• $1 million to the North Carolina Heritage Advisory Council for grants to assist youth teams travel to events or attract events to North Carolina.
• Of the remaining proceeds: 20% to the athletic departments at the above colleges and universities; 30% to the North Carolina Major Events, Games and Attractions Fund; 50% to the state's General Fund. The Major Events, Games and Attractions Fund would provide grants to draw entertainment, musical, political, sporting or theatrical events, held no more than once a year, to the state's sports facilities and venues.

Does North Carolina have a problem gambling hotline?

The North Carolina Problem Gambling Program is available for free 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can call 877-718-5543, text "morethanagame" to 53342 or chat with someone at morethanagame.nc.gov.