North Carolina Mobile Sports Betting Won’t Launch By Super BowlRegulatory Process Expected To Continue |
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North Carolina bettors looking to whip out their phones and make some wagers on the NFL playoffs or Super Bowl will be out of luck this season. The state’s lottery commission recently announced that mobile wagering won’t be live before the big game commences on Feb. 11.
The first date the state could legally approve wagering is Jan. 8, but officials reported at a recent meeting of the North Carolina State Lottery Commission that there are still too many regulatory concerns to iron out before betting can begin.
No Launch Imminent
Sports betting in the Tar Heel State was legalized in June with live betting at the state’s casinos legalized as well as up to 12 online operators. Bettors in the state can now wager at two Eastern Band of Cherokee properties operated by Caesars in Cherokee and Murphy. The Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain also offers live sports betting.
Regulators are also now accepting applications for the online licenses through Dec. 27. On Dec. 5, Penn Entertainment announced a deal to offer ESPN Bet in the state via a partnership with Quail Hollow Golf Club. FanDuel has also announced an agreement with the PGA to enter the market. More operators are expected to follow.
The lottery commission has until June 15 to allow operators to begin accepting wagers, but no doubt many bettors may have been hoping for an earlier launch. Officials haven’t offered a date that sports bettors could begin using online platforms.
“Sports betting will not be authorized until the commission can approve the rules and the potential operators submit an application and the commission approves the applications,” lottery commissioner Ripley Rand said.
Latest Gaming Delay
North Carolina has already seen some setbacks for proponents of gambling expansion in the state. After considerable effort to bring a bill forward in September to expand casinos in the state, that didn’t come to fruition.
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger® abandoned his hopes at passing a bill in this year’s legislative session. He questioned why some lawmakers favored a sports betting bill while at the same time not supporting casinos.
“I don’t know why those same folks had a real problem with us moving forward with some sort of gaming that would actually create jobs, particularly in rural areas,” Berger said.
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