No Online Sports Betting in North Carolina

For a brief moment it looked as if the state of North Carolina was close to legalizing online sports betting. Lawmakers throughout the state were trying to get a bill passed to change the current gambling laws, but those bills ultimately fell short.

There were two sports betting bills on the table in North Carolina and both of the bills needed to be passed. There was plenty of support to get this industry up and running, but there was also just enough opposition to cancel it all.

After spending a few weeks looking at Senate Bill 688 in North Carolina, the House of Representatives narrowly voted it down. The House actually approved a legal sports betting companion bill, but not the one that would set up the industry.

North Carolina is a state that currently has legal sports betting through the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, but that is the only option. Lawmakers and sports betting operators were hoping to take this industry online, but that will not be the case in 2022.

This state was hoping to introduce legal online sports betting as a way to keep up with the state of Tennessee. Tennessee is a state that has a strict online-only sports betting industry and it’s one that has put up some pretty impressive numbers.

House Keeping Hope Alive

Despite the most recent vote that came out 51-50 in favor of tabling Senate Bill 688, some members of the House of Representatives are keeping hope alive. According to reports, there could be another vote as early as Monday, but it’s unclear if opinions or beliefs will change by that time.

If sports betting was to be passed by the House of Representatives in North Carolina then it would create a market with at least 10-12 online sports betting licenses. Arguments over where the licenses would come from have caused some debate, but morality issues continue to be the biggest argument.

The legalization process in the state of North Carolina are pretty simple and there is a chance that this state could get a bill passed to begin 2023 if nothing happens this summer. This is not a state that will turn into a massive market in the United States, but there are enough professional teams to draw some action.

Lawmakers Listening to Opposition

Every state that has attempted or proceeded to legalize sports betting has faced opposition, but that opposition has worked in North Carolina. There have been several lobbyist groups to speak in front of lawmakers, but it was members of the House that ultimately swayed the vote.

The biggest argument against legal sports betting is that it will lead to gambling addiction and could lead to prostitution. None of those claims have been proven, but there were some pretty desperate pleas made by lawmakers that ultimately swayed the vote.