North Carolina Sportsbetting Bill Advances

A bill in North Carolina that would legalize sportsbetting in the state has moved one step closer to becoming law after the state Senate passed the bill on its second reading.

House Bill 347 made its way through the Senate after being passed by the state House of Representatives on March 13th. The bill would allow for a maximum of twelve internet sportsbetting licenses to be issued by a gaming regulator to be set up in the state. License applications will run $1 million, which will be refunded at a rate of 95% if the application is denied. Annual fees would run $50,000, while suppliers would pay $30,000. The licenses would be good for five years.

Gamblers would have to be 21 years of age or older and physically located in North Carolina to place the wagers.

North Carolina has long resisted expanding gambling in most forms. There are Native American casinos and at one point there were video poker machines throughout the state before they were banned in 2007. The state does have a lottery, which was founded in 2006. A large portion of this clampdown is due to the state being located in the Bible Belt of America, which skews conservative in many ways.

Casino Listings News is following the progress of this bill and will update readers when we learn the outcome of the legislation.