Sports betting supporters, industry sources and lobbyists expect a better outcome this year than last year for online sports wagering legislation in North Carolina. Ches McDowell, a lobbyist for North Carolina sports teams, said while no measure has been introduced yet, the plan is to bring up a bill that’s very similar to last year’s, which came close to being passed.
McDowell said lawmakers still are working on the bill’s final language and lining up votes. Last month in a newspaper interview, Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger said mobile sports betting seems to have enough support to pass this year.
A mobile sports wagering bill passed the Senate and fell short by a few votes in the House. Observers said the ban on college sports betting caused the measure to fail. Also, industry sources said lobbying for the bill began too late. The source said lobbyists are expected to “get in and talk in a way they didn’t last year. Opposition can be overcome with the right conversations with the right people. There is an opportunity for compromise, but it will likely be razor-thin margins.”
A bill similar to last year’s would create 10 to 12 mobile sports betting licenses in North Carolina and start with a tax rate of 8 percent on revenue.
Also, the measure would allow sports betting lounges for professional sports venues in the state.
In April 2022, a WRAL News survey indicated 52 percent of North Carolinians support online sports betting. A Spectrum News/IPSOS poll showed just 36 percent of registered voters supported it.
Retail sports betting debuted at tribal casinos in the western part of the state last year.
