Online sports betting could be passed in North Carolina by football season

Could North Carolina residents be able to bet on sports online? It could happen by football season.

Some state congressmen spoke with WRAL-TV and said SB 688 could pass during the state’s “short” session, which began on Wednesday. The current laws only allow North Carolina residents to place bets at two Cherokee casinos in-person.

“We just want to make sure we have drummed up the votes, and I think we have,” State Sen. Paul Lowe (D-Forsyth) told WRAL’s Brian Murphy. “I feel confident about it.”

There’s support for the bill among North Carolina residents. WRAL ran a poll that found 52% of people who responded are in favor of online sports betting. Reasons people are in favor of the new legislation include revenue, which could be upward of millions of dollars.

“We’re ready to rock ‘n’ roll. I’ve not heard any new opposition,” State Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) told Murphy. “I think we have a pretty smooth glide path once we do kind of start rolling into session.”

If the measure passes, it could open the door for sites like FanDuel and DraftKings to go live by football season. The 2022 NFL season starts Sept. 8, and the Carolina Panthers play their first game Sept. 11 against the Cleveland Browns. Week 0 of the 2022 college football season kicks off Aug. 27 and Week 1 starts the following week on Sept. 1. That’s when fans can expect teams such as North Carolina, NC State, Duke and Wake Forest to get back onto the field and, maybe, place some wagers on whichever teams they support.

States across the country have legalized sports betting the last few years since the Supreme Court made its landmark decision in 2018 to allow states to make it legal. North Carolina is hoping to join a group that includes New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Tennessee and Maryland that allows online sports betting.