Online Gambling in North Carolina: Quick Facts
- Legal North Carolina online gambling options? N/A
- Legal gambling age: 21
- Who regulates North Carolina online gambling? N/A
- Legal mobile gambling? No
- Do I need to be physically located in North Carolina to gamble online? N/A
- Do I need to be a resident of North Carolina to gamble online? N/A
- Sports available to bet on: None
A Brief History of Online Gambling in North Carolina
The Southern part of the United States has some very restrictive gambling laws in place. North Carolina is a part of that group. This is a state that doesn’t even have any commercial casinos, and there are just two tribal casinos available. Naturally, that means North Carolina online gambling is also illegal at this time.
Lawmakers did actually approve legal sports betting in 2019, which was a pretty shocking development at the time. It then took the state nearly two years before these sports betting options were available to bettors in the state.
There just hasn’t been any real discussion about online gambling in North Carolina. It will be up to lawmakers to get the process started.
Online Gambling in North Carolina: The Current Law
As mentioned above, the state of North Carolina has always had restrictive gambling laws. There hasn’t really been an attempt made to change those. That doesn’t mean that it won’t happen in the future, but this just hasn’t been a top priority for lawmakers.
It does feel like residents of the state are tired of the old rules, and that they would support further expanding the gaming industry. If sports betting becomes extremely popular in the state, then that could convince the legislature to explore even more options.
Legal Online Sportsbooks in North Carolina
Sports betting officially launched in North Carolina in 2021, but you won’t find many sportsbooks in the state. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is authorized to accept wagers on sporting events, but that is it at this time.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians operates a pair of Harrah’s Casinos in North Carolina. But they needed an operator to set odds and take wagers. William Hill powers the sportsbooks for this Native American tribe and has a monopoly in the state.
There is a chance that sports betting will eventually be offered online as well. However, you won’t see many other retail sportsbooks popping up in the state. Without any commercial casinos, there just aren’t many options.
Sports Betting in North Carolina
Even though the sports betting industry in North Carolina is relatively small at this point in time, the fact that William Hill is involved makes it a solid industry. William Hill is one of the biggest names in sports betting, and bettors will find plenty of great betting options.
Betting on the NFL is the biggest market in the US. But the NBA, MLB, and NHL will all bring in plenty of action as well. International sporting events such as soccer are also popular markets to bet on.
Not only will you see a long list of betting markets in North Carolina, but you will also find some great betting types offered. Here are the top betting options offered at the retail sportsbooks in North Carolina.
Moneyline
A money line bet is a simple one to make. It is one that you will see offered on nearly every sports betting market. With a money line bet, you are simply picking which team or individual will win a certain game or event.
Points Spread
A points spread wager is usually referred to as betting against the spread. This is a bet that is most commonly associated with basketball and football. But it can be offered in other markets as well.
This type of bet takes the money line bet and adds a degree of difficulty. Not only do you have to pick the winner, but you also have to pick how close the final score will be.
Totals (Over/Under)
A total bet is usually called an “over/under”. This type of bet deals strictly with the number of points, goals, or runs scored in a game. Sportsbooks set the betting lines. You then get to choose whether you think the teams will combine to go over or under that amount.
Prop Bets
Prop bets are fun to make, and there is some serious money that can be won as well. These don’t usually have anything to do with the outcome of a game. Instead, they focus on the accomplishments or stats of a team or individual.
Future Bets
A future bet is extremely popular in some sports, and this is a bet that is placed on something that will take place later on. Usually, bettors wager on which team will win a specific championship or make a bet on which players will win a certain individual award.
Parlay Bets
If you are looking to win big when betting on sports, then making a parlay wager is the way to go. With this type of bet, you simply combine several smaller wagers to make one big wager. The payouts increase with the more legs you add, but you are also adding additional risk as well.
Legal Online Casinos in North Carolina
Without any commercial casinos in the state of North Carolina, it would be hard to launch legal online casinos. This doesn’t make it impossible, but it does add a degree of difficulty to the process.
Since the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians controls all in-person casino gambling, that tribe would also be likely in charge of online casinos in North Carolina. This tribe would also have to make a push for this type of gaming, and it remains to be seen if that will be the case.
There is a chance that North Carolina could pass a law that would allow online-only operators to enter the state, but gaming compacts would have to be amended. Online casinos will likely come to North Carolina at some point in the future, but it could be years down the road.
Legal Online Poker in North Carolina
Legalizing online poker in North Carolina faces a similar fate to online casino gambling. Again, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians controls the current gaming industry, and that tribe will not be willing to give up any power or suffer a potential revenue loss.
Poker is legal and offered at the two tribal casinos in the state, and that will help if lawmakers want to legalize online poker sites. This type of gambling could be launched alongside online casinos, or lawmakers could seek to launch it first.
Online poker is one of the most popular iGaming options, and it is one that has been approved in a handful of states recently.
How to Set Up a North Carolina Online Gambling Account
Even though North Carolina online gambling is not yet legal at this time, there is a good chance that it will be at some point. When it is, you will want to know the steps you need to take to set up an online gambling account.
This entire process can usually be completed in 10 minutes or less, as long as there are no problems verifying your identity. You must be truthful with the information that you provide and know that your identity is safe and secure.
You will begin by providing the online site with basic information such as your full name, date of birth, legal address, and social security number. Some sites will only ask for the last four digits, while others will require the entire thing.
Once your identity has been verified, the next step will be creating a username and password. You will use this information to log in to the site each time that you want to play.
When choosing a username and password, be sure to pick something that is unique to you. You also want to pick something that you will remember, and don’t ever share that information with anyone.
After you are able to log in to the site, the next step is to visit the banking section and make your initial payment. This will get money in your account, and you can then begin playing the games.
North Carolina Banking Methods
Another thing you will notice right away when playing at an online gambling site is that the banking process is tremendous. Gone are the days when using a credit card is the only form of payment, and you will find several different options available to you.
PayPal is now one of the top banking options when it comes to online gambling sites, and this is a very convenient payment method to use. By linking your PayPal and online gambling account together, money can be sent back and forth quickly and easily.
A credit/debit card is still an acceptable form of payment on these sites, but it will only work as a form of deposit. If you are trying to request money from one of the sites, you will have to utilize a different option.
An online bank transfer might also be an option that is available to you, but only if your bank allows these types of transactions. You will also be able to visit the tribal casinos or other retail sportsbooks and make a cash payment to fund your account.
You won’t see many withdrawal options available to you, but there should still be at least one that will work for you. Online gambling sites have improved the payout process, and the money will be delivered to you quicker than it has been in the past.
The Future of Online Gambling in North Carolina
There is some reason to be optimistic about the future of online gambling in North Carolina, and just taking a look at the rest of the United States is a big reason why. Online gambling is a hot topic throughout the country, and that pressure will eventually reach North Carolina as well.
The fact that lawmakers were able to get a sports betting bill passed is another reason to be optimistic about the future of online gambling. There is still plenty of work left to be done, but there does appear to be a small opening now that wasn’t previously there before.
