Sports Betting In North Carolina Now One Step Closer As Bill Passes Senate

• North Carolina sports betting bill SB 154 passed through the Senate by 43-7 vote.
• If the bill becomes law, North Carolina residents will only be able to bet on sports in the towns of Cherokee and Murphy.
• The bill, in its current form, would allow for gambling on collegiate sports teams.

RALIEGH, N.C. – The future seems bright for legal North Carolina sports betting. In a Senate vote held earlier this week, the legislative chamber voted to pass sports betting bill NC SB 154 by a margin of 43-7.

The bill will now be sent to the North Carolina House of Representatives for a vote, and if passed once more, it will be presented to NC Governor Roy Cooper for him to either sign into law or to veto.

While this piece of legislation would expand gaming operations in the state, it would do so in a limited fashion. The measures currently set would only allow for sports betting to be conducted in two of the state’s tribal casinos.

Those would include the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, NC and the Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy, NC. Both locations are owned and operated by the Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians.

With no provisions for mobile and online wagering, this would effectively work to bring in more foot-traffic to those locations. Both gaming venues are located near the western border of the state which could work to bring in sports bettors from Tennessee as well.

Tennessee currently has sports gambling bills on file, but none have progressed as far as the one currently passed by the NC Senate.

The bill, as it currently stands, will also allow betting on collegiate sports, including NC home teams, to go along with professional sports. The bill passed through the Senate, even with North Carolina Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham opposing the idea.

“We do not support wagering on amateur athletics, but know that it is legal in a number of states,” said Cunningham in a statement given to The News and Observer. “We are working with our conference office and will be working with the NCAA on this issue.”

New Jersey, the first state to legalize sports betting after the repeal of PASPA, prohibits bets placed on collegiate teams from their state. However, West Virginia lawmakers also legalized sports betting and allow their residents to place wagers on their home university’s teams.

There has been no indication that this provision will be changed when it heads to the House of Representatives for a vote. There have also been no reports of Governor Cooper opposing the bill in its current form.

News tags: NC SB 154 | North Carolina | North Carolina sports betting