The North Carolina Judiciary Committee recently approved SB 688, which would license and tax sports betting. The bill, sponsored by state Senators Jim Perry and Paul Lowe Jr., previously was approved by the Senate Finance Committee. The bipartisan-supported measure still must clear two more Senate committees before it goes to the full Senate.
If the bill passes both chambers, it’s sure to be signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper, who previously indicated his support. The North Carolina Education Lottery commission would issue 10 to 12 sports wagering operator licenses at $25,000 each. Bettors would have to be at least 21 years old and live in North Carolina. Currently, sports wagering only is authorized at local tribal casinos.
Sports betting revenue would be taxed at 8 percent. Half of the net proceeds would go toward a special fund to attract sporting events; the remaining half would go to the state’s general fund. A legislative analysis indicated the state could collect $8 million to $24 million annually.
To those who oppose the legislation, Perry said, “There’s always a social impact to every choice. There’s a price to be paid for freedom, some would say. My mother does not like this legislation. I understand. I know how she was raised. I sat down and showed her that I could log on to a website for offshore sports betting today. Sports betting does exist in North Carolina, and it’s just not something that is regulated and taxed by the state.”
A recent poll by East Carolina University shoed 54 percent of North Carolinians support legalized sports gambling and 46 percent oppose it. That majority increases to 80 percent after people were asked if they would rather have sports revenue taxed versus raising property taxes. The poll also showed young adults, Democrats and Independents are the primary supporters of legalized sports gambling.
Dr. Peter Francia, of the Center for Survey Research at ECU, said, “We see a predictable break along lines of age, where we see a younger generation that’s a bit more willing to permit behaviors that an older generation had once thought was impermissible.”
The Rev. Mark Creech, executive director at the Christian Action League of North Carolina, said the legislation will create new addicts and further harm those already suffering from gambling addiction. “The most predatory industry in the country purposefully targets and exploits the financially desperate and cultivates addition for profits,” Creech told lawmakers during the committee hearing.
