RALEIGH –Monday, March 11, is the day that legal sports wagering can begin in North Carolina for those age 21 and up. Those who are so inclined must have established accounts with a licensed operator; and, if so, they can use their phone or electronic device as of noon, March 11, to place sports wagers on licensed operators’ sports wagering platforms.
Importantly, before offering bets or registering new players, interactive sports wagering operators must obtain a license and receive a certificate of compliance..
“The plan means that North Carolinians will be able to place bets on their favorite teams in many of this year’s college basketball conference tournaments, including men’s tournaments in the ACC, Conference USA, the MEAC, and the AAC, as well as throughout the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments,” said Ripley Rand, chair of the North Carolina State Lottery Commission. “Bets on sporting events have been made for as long as those events have taken place, but this time they will be legal, they will be done securely and fairly, and they will be made under rules designed to encourage responsible gaming.”
The commission will maintain a list of licensed interactive sports wagering operators on its website, including the names of their platforms and links to their websites. The first sports wagers will be made on mobile devices. In-person sports wagering will follow on a case-by-case basis as interested operators meet standard requirements.
The start date for sports betting in North Carolina will come more than three months ahead of the June 15 deadline set by the state law authorizing sports betting when it was approved by the N.C. General Assembly last year.