Second North Carolina Mobile Sportsbooks Bill Filed In 2021

North Carolina now has another mobile sports betting bill to consider in 2021 with House Bill 631 that is the mirror image to Senate Bill 688.
This expansion to the North Carolina sports wagering market could bring in as much as $50 million in annual revenue for the state.
The North Carolina General Assembly has until July to decide on the fate of these two indistinguishable proposals.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The North Carolina General Assembly now has a second sports betting bill to consider which is identical to the Senate proposal introduced earlier this month. The new measure is one that was drawn up by the House, despite its structure being a mirror image of Senate Bill 688.

House Bill 631 was filed on Wednesday in the state. Both bills want to expand the regulated sports betting industry of North Carolina to include mobile sportsbooks.

What Exactly These Bills Want For North Carolina Sports Betting

House Bill 631 is a bipartisan bill like Senate Bill 688. Each of these pieces of legislation wants to add commercial mobile and internet sportsbook options to the North Carolina sports betting market.

At this time, North Carolina sports betting is confined to retail sportsbooks at two tribal casinos owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. A third casino run by the Catawba Nation will be unveiling a sportsbook of their own in the near future.

A cap of ten-twelve mobile sports betting operators would be licensed under these two bills. There is a tax rate set at 8% on all GGR and a license application fee of $500,000. Professional sports venues would be eligible to open sportsbooks under these proposals. This could be seen as the retail aspect to the bills being called mobile sportsbook measures.

The three tribal establishments that could apply for mobile sports betting licenses that would not count toward the set cap. The North Carolina State Lottery is named as the regulator of the industry and would in no way conflict with the Tribal Gaming Compact regulations already in place, as they would be separate entities.

Through these bills, a fund would be created and known as the “North Carolina Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund” to give North Carolina more availability at hosting major sporting events and tournaments. Collegiate and professional sporting events are open for betting lines with these proposals.

Looks Like A Greenlight Is In North Carolina’s Future

The North Carolina General Assembly looks to be in favor of both bills. Although this is a commercial sports betting expansion, Senator Jim Perry has said he doesn’t believe the legislation should face much opposition by the tribes.

“I’ve had conversations with Cherokee representatives and folks representing their interests and they’ve been very reasonable with me to date on issues such as this,” said Perry to LegalSportsBetting on Friday.

Regulated sports betting in North Carolina should see one of these mirroring proposals pass by the time the Assembly adjourns for 2021 on July 2. After passage and a signature of approval by Governor Roy Cooper, the law could be enacted by October 1, right in the heart of NFL sports betting season.

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Christina Monroe

Christina has been writing for as long as she can remember and does dedicated research on the newly regulated sports betting market. She comes from a family of sports lovers that engage in friendly bets from time to time. During the winter months, you can find Christina baking cookies and beating the entire staff at Mario Kart…the N64 version of course.