North Carolina Sportsbooks Won’t Be Offering Super Bowl 54 Betting

• While sports betting is legal in the state of North Carolina, it is not being offered at either location.
• Problems stemming from the gaming compact have prevented the sportsbooks from opening their doors.
• Issues between the state and the Tribe should be cleared up by SB 55.

CHEROKEE, N.C. – North Carolina legalized sports betting in July of 2019 but sportsbooks will not be operational for Super Bowl 54. The state is home to two sports betting lounges, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel.

These locations have picked Caesars to run their sports wagering operations with “The Book” as their sportsbook of choice.

What’s The Hold-Up?

With a sports betting operator in place and the construction of the lounges done, wagers on the Super Bowl or any other sports matchup should be able to take place but that is not the case. The law, NC SB 154, allowed for Tribal casinos such as these to open up sportsbooks.

However, issues have arisen regarding Tribal gaming compacts with the state. Until these compacts are properly amended where both the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and North Carolina Officials find a resolution, all sports betting has been suspended.

This means that wagers for Super Bowl LIV will not be allowed to be placed by sports bettors in North Carolina.

The Tribe has sent Governor Roy Cooper a proposal for amendments to the gaming compact in October. By law, the Governor has 180 days to respond, giving him until April to approve or deny the proposal.

“While the EBCI has been assured the Compact will be approved, the Governor’s Office is completing their due diligence to ensure compliance within the legal framework established,” said Principal Chief Richard Sneed.

This means that while there will be no bets for Super Bowl 54, the residents in North Carolina will be able to wager on SB 55. The issue should be resolved by then. If the Governor approves the amendments made by the Tribe, April could see the beginning of sports betting in the Tar Heel State.

Other Caesars Sportsbook Locations

The Book in other states such as New York and Nevada have been receiving their fair share of bets on Super Bowl 54. Caesars has the Kansas City Chiefs as the 1.5-point favorites to win. The total points for the game are at 53.5.

The Kansas City Chiefs (-122) will take on the San Francisco 49ers (+102) on Sunday, February 2 at 6:30 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast by the FOX network. Until next year, all NFL bettors in North Carolina will have to travel to a different state or turn to offshore sportsbooks if they want to get any skin in on the biggest game of the year.

News tags: Caesars | Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians | Governor Roy Cooper | Harrahs | Kansas City Chiefs | North Carolina | Richard Sneed | San Francisco 49ers | Super Bowl 54 | Super Bowl 55 | The Book