North Carolina Mobile Betting Awaits Approval by House Vote

• Tuesday night, members of the North Carolina House of Representatives voted 66-45 in favor of approval for an online sports betting bill.
• The approval comes after the second reading of House Bill 347, with a third and final reading expected Wednesday
• If approved once again, the bill will cross chambers to potentially receive voting in the Senate.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Jason Saine’s House Bill 347 is receiving its third and final vote in the NC House of Representatives and, with approval, would advance the bill to the Senate.

NC HB 347 received approval on its second reading by a vote of 66-45. The passing vote is a great sign for the future of legal online sports betting because it’s the first time North Carolina House voters have approved a sports betting bill.

Last year, a similar sports betting bill passed in the Senate but died when it crossed chambers into the House. New legislators in the House are responsible for the change in favor of sports betting during this year’s legislative session.

NC HB 347 would allow up to 12 sports betting operators to accept bets on collegiate sports, including schools in the state of North Carolina. Seven North Carolina universities’ athletic departments will receive $300,000 annually.

The bill also includes the regulation of sports betting on professional sports, eSports, and the Olympics. Horse and dog racing have been removed from the bill but potentially could be introduced in future legislation.

Despite concerns of economic impact and influence on the youth amongst some voters, the bill passed convincingly on its second reading. Saine assured voters concerned regarding the morality of the bill by explaining its positive impact through regulation of sports betting.

A motivating factor for the approval of NC HB 347 is the acknowledgment that gambling, and sports wagering is constantly occurring within state lines without regulation. The legalization would allow the state of North Carolina to provide resources for gambling addictions that already occur throughout the state.

House Bill 347 explicitly states that over $4 million in sports betting revenue will be distributed to gambling addiction services, youth sports equipment, and grants to improve parks and quality of life throughout the state.

In addition to helping citizens, supporters of the bill – including Governor Cooper – believe that legalizing online sports betting would bring upwards of $60 million annually in tax revenue. The bill provides a 14% tax rate on all online sports wagers.

Another approval in the House chamber today would make a big leap towards legal North Carolina sports betting becoming available in the beginning of 2024.

News tags: eSports | Jason Saine | NC HB 347 | North Carolina | Olympics | Roy Cooper