January 8, 2024, is the date set by North Carolina lawmakers for the onset of domestic mobile sports betting in the state. Unfortunately, politicians haven’t wrapped up the regulatory process in time to meet their launch date.
Beginning in early January would have allowed NC to partake in the biggest sports betting month of the calendar year and top it off with Super Bowl wagering in early February.
Sports betting revenues have soared in January since the repeal of PASPA in 2018. States that have authorized domestic sportsbooks experience upticks in activity during January due to the CFP and NFL Playoffs. Also, during the first month of the year, the NBA, NHL, and college basketball are in play.
When Will NC Sports Betting Apps Arrive?
Sportsbooks in North Carolina are now facing a June 15th deadline for opening, putting pressure on legislators to wrap up all paperwork within the next seven-and-a-half months.
If legal sports betting in NC takes until mid-June to debut, it’ll happen during the NBA and NHL Playoffs. The North Carolina Lottery Commission is the regulatory body that presides over domestic sportsbooks in the state, and they have not offered a concrete start date as of this writing.
“The commission remains committed to ensuring that sports betting gets up and running in an effective and appropriate fashion as soon as possible, and at this time is on track to achieve that ahead of the June 15 deadline identified in the law…”
Van Denton – NC Lottery Commission Spokesman
What Remains To Be Decided?
An item they need to work through is which pro and college sports will be allowed at domestic books. Some states have prohibited betting on local college teams to discourage cheating, fixing games, and collusion.
A few regions have banned local college betting entirely, while others allow for wagers to be made during tournament play. Some states have chosen to forbid all prop bets on the performance of NCAA players and teams.
The Tarheel State has opted for mobile sports betting apps, which is a wise decision from a fiscal standpoint. The state has featured in-person sportsbooks at their Cherokee and King’s Mountain tribal casinos, but that requires bettors to travel to not only place a wager but also to collect the winning payout.
In-person sportsbooks do not generate the revenue that online and mobile options are capable of, and it is all a matter of convenience. Would you travel to a remote destination to place an online order and then go back to pick it up?
Of course not. People will choose to do business over the web in most cases. There will always be some players who prefer to lay their action with a human bookie, but they will never represent the majority of any player pool.
Mobile sports betting will ensure that NC taxpayers will enjoy the maximum fruits of the state’s sports betting potential. With any luck, sportsbook apps will be up and running by March Madness.
Sources:
