North Carolina Sports Betting | Top 4 NC Online Bookies 2024

It’s true to say that at the moment, North Carolina doesn’t particularly have a huge number of opportunities available for legal gambling. While options like charitable gaming and a state lottery are quite active, other sectors such as online gambling, pari-mutuel wagering and so on are not. However, sports betting is one area where North Carolina excels, with there being two main options for bettors to take with regard to this. And that’s precisely what we’re here to discuss today.

We’ll be taking a look at the state law surrounding both sports betting in North Carolina and other forms of gambling. We’ve also got some recommendations for you to check out, as we have reviewed the very best sports betting sites in the state, too. Furthermore, there’s plenty of information here for you regarding North Carolina sports betting in general. So, why not read on to find out more about it?

Top 4 Sports Betting Sites For Players From North Carolina in 2021

The United States as a whole has been pretty much freed from the constraints of the PASPA law, which was overruled by the Supreme Court in 2018. This has made it possible for each individual state to introduce legal sports betting operations to their residents. As it happens though, North Carolina hasn’t excelled so far forward with this as several other states have. That being said, there are some exciting online sportsbooks for you to sign up to regardless. These platforms are also available throughout much of the United States, and we have rated them as the best sports betting sites.

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Is North Carolina Sports Betting Legal? Yes!✅

To answer this question simply, the legal forms of gambling in North Carolina exist in the shape of the North Carolina Education Lottery, tribal casinos, charitable bingo and raffles. That’s pretty much been the existence of gambling within the state for some time. However, sports betting has also become a legal activity in more recent times as well. Can it be said that this is accessible in an online format there, though?

Well, it’s unfortunate to say it, but The Tar Heel State is considered as one of the most restrictive when it comes to gambling laws. Therefore, don’t expect it to be described as another New Jersey. For as long as it can be remembered, North Carolina has taken an anti-gambling stance when it comes to the industry, and therefore, its online options are severely limited as well. Therefore, while online sports betting from within the state may be unavailable, this doesn’t mean that residents cannot access such. There are various offshore platforms that cater to the sports bettors from this location.

It’s prominent to note that in years past, North Carolina did actually fight quite hard against any sort of legalized gambling. The state governor in 1982 was very much against its introduction to North Carolinians, and it was even the last state on the East Coast to allow residents to engage in a state lottery. That only happened in 2005, and it managed to make it through by the very slimmest of voting margins. Horse racing and dog racing remain outlawed in the state too, so no pari-mutuel betting is available.

Up until that time, the only other form of gambling that existed in North Carolina was a single tribal casino, and even that had people begrudging its existence. It is placed on the Eastern Band of Cherokee land, although it is operated by Harrah’s. That casino was only set up thanks to the inclusion of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, although this required tribes to negotiate agreements with their individual state governments. Because of this, North Carolina severely restricted the types of games that could be played within the tribal casino. Until 2012, visitors could only access slot machines and electronic poker. It only expanded this range of games in a bid to secure more funding for itself, and two more tribal casinos were able to be built at the same time. As it happens though, only a single one has been constructed, which began operating in 2015.

However, even though this is great, the two tribal casinos actually feed off of their close proximity to Atlanta, Georgia. There, residents have exceptionally limited gambling opportunities, so they cross state lines to be able to enjoy casino gaming at those two establishments. There are also plans for the Catawba Nation to build a $600 million casino near Kings Mountain, which would draw in visitors from nearby Charlotte. For this, the tribe is looking to partner up with Hard Rock, although the US government still needs to approve this idea. Therefore, the Cherokee may not remain as the only gaming operator in North Carolina in future.

Social casino gaming is something that can occur within the Harrah’s casinos of the state or via social casino websites like Zynga or Double Down Casino. Of course, these games are not played with real money.

In a bid to enhance its competition, sports betting was also introduced to the fabric of North Carolina’s gaming market. Governor Roy Cooper proceeded with signing the S154 bill into law in July of 2020. This made the state the seventh in the country to pass its own sports betting bill. But what does this allow?

As part of that bill, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has the ability to provide retail sports betting opportunities alongside its class III gaming options, to North Carolina residents. This can occur at two casinos located in the Appalachian Mountains. At the same time, if the Catawba Nation manages to bring its own casino into operation, the likelihood is that this will also be able to offer sports betting options, too. However, online sports betting remains a big no-no in the state. Implementation of the land-based sports betting opportunities has yet to take place, but it’s safe to say that it should be done within the next few months.

So, where will the sportsbooks in North Carolina be found?

Harrah’s Cherokee casino resort, Cherokee
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino and Hotel, Murphy

Online opportunities for residents from the state of North Carolina remain accessible only through offshore sites. Even though this is the case, they still provide legal sportsbook options to patrons, meaning that there’s always a way to engage in sports wagering for bettors.

Our Recommended North Carolina Sports Betting Site

Our Rating

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The Top 4 Out-Of-State Sports Betting Sites Overview

Online sports betting has definitely seen its fair share of interest from residents of Illinois, and that’s great. Of course, there are various offshore sites competing with the online sports betting options from within the state’s borders, too. That’s all good though, as residents have their choice of accessing a variety of legal and regulated options. Keep in mind that the offshore ones are also available to all other US states and multiple worldwide locations, too.

1.Everygame Sportsbook – The Best for a Long-Running, Experienced Service ($20 Free Bet)

The Everygame brand has been online since 1996, and it was around for 13 years in a retail format prior to this. Is there any surprise then that it still offers a wonderful experience to players wanting to engage in sports betting? There are many available sports events to wager on at the platform, and it provides you with a decent welcome bonus offer as well. This consists of a 200% bonus up to $50 when you make your initial deposit. Combine that with the possibility of accessing the online casino, online poker room and live dealer sections, and Everygame is very much one that shouldn’t be missed out on.

What we like:

Long-running and experienced brand
Great choice of sports to bet on
Good selection of regular promotions available
Supports cryptocurrency transactions

What we don´t like:

Could have more competitive odds available

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2. MyBookie – The Best for a Large Sign-Up Bonus and Ongoing Promotions (Welcome Bonus: 100% up to $1000)

What do you get when you present bettors with a welcome offer of 100% up to $1,000 and excellent sports betting software for both desktop and mobile devices? You get the MyBookie sportsbook! This bookie was established back in 2014, and it has garnered itself quite the following of players over the years. Holding a gambling license from the jurisdiction of Curacao and offering a great range of sporting events for you to bet on, the MyBookie website really does provide an inviting option to North Carolina bettors. When you also consider that it has a great selection of ongoing promotions and allows free transactions, MyBookie should be one that everyone checks out.

What we like:

Free credit card transactions available
Amazing $1,000 first deposit bonus available
Excellent betting software in operation
Great website design and easy navigation

What we don’t like:

Large rollover required for bonus rewards

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3. Bovada Sportsbook – The Best for Its Stunning Reputation and Speedy Pay-Outs (50% first deposit bonus up to $250)

The Bovada name is one that has become very synonymous with the world of gambling in general. And the sportsbook is no different in this respect, providing its players with a great choice of events to wager on. Anyone registering for an account at Bovada can look forward to enjoying sports bets on cricket, soccer, baseball, football, hockey and much more. However, what most people love about Bovada is that it has a reputation as being one of the best sites for speedy pay-outs. And when you combine that with its welcome bonus reward of up to $750 after depositing with Bitcoin, there’s little to stop you engaging in sports betting there.

What we like:

Great selection of bonuses and promotions
Speedy withdrawal process in operation
Soft odds available in comparison to other sites
Exceptional website design

What we don´t like:

Tends to impose limits on bettors quickly
Card transactions come with extra fees to pay

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4. BetOnline – The Best for Being Trustworthy and Safe (Welcome Bonus: Free Bet of Up to $50)

If there’s one site that readily provides you with a welcoming experience from the very start, it’s BetOnline. Featuring a great sportsbook design that allows for easy navigation around, incorporating some of the best wagering limits for bettors and proceeding with posting odds much earlier than many other sites, BetOnline has so much to look forward to. It also provides you with a welcome offer of up to $50 for utilizing its mobile betting app for such purposes, and at the same time, you can engage in sports betting from any location this way. What could be better than BetOnline?

What we like:

One of the world’s largest online sportsbooks
Great betting software and interface
Large wagering limits in operation
Frequently posts odds earlier than other sites

What we don´t like:

Certain payment methods incur fees
Support could do with being improved

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How We Rate the Best North Carolina Sports Betting Sites

When deciding upon an online sportsbook to join, you should always consider various things beforehand. These will ensure that you not only have the best experience at such, but that the platform caters to all or at least the majority of your needs and preferences. So, here is a short checklist of things to watch out for when deciding on such:

High levels of security
An official gambling license and/or great repute
Support for various payment methods
Intriguing and exceptional promotions
VIP scheme or loyalty rewards program
Mobile sports betting compatibility for Android and iOS
Helpful customer support advisors
A variety of sports and events to wager on

What to consider when choosing a Sports Betting Sites

Our team of expert sportsbook reviewers go through certain procedures in a bid to make sure that they’re recommending the very best sites for you. This is why we thought it would be appropriate to inform you of the features that they look out for at these platforms. So, what exactly is it that we want to see when rating the best online bookmakers for NC Sports betting opportunities?

Licensed and Regulated

We always want to know that the sportsbook we’re placing bets at is operating properly and reputably. Therefore, we seek out those sites with an official gambling license first and foremost. This means that the platform needs to adhere to certain rules and regulations around sports gambling. If a site is self-regulating instead, then we expect it to hold a high level of repute with its bettors.

Banking methods

When making a deposit at an online site, you need to know that your favored payment method will be supported. Therefore, we have located the sites with the largest variety of different payment methods that can be used for transactions. This means that you should be able to utilize not only card payments, but e-wallets, prepaid cards, bank transfers, cryptocurrencies and so on for such.

Safety and Security

Online gambling is something that should always be done via a secure server and in a safe environment. Therefore, our recommendations are all guaranteed to be safe and utilizing high levels of security measures. This keeps your transactions secure by them being sent in encrypted format.

Bonus and rewards

We always want to ensure that you feel welcome at an online sportsbook, and an introductory offer as well as ongoing special offers and the promo codes will definitely make this the outcome. Therefore, both newcomers and ongoing bettors can benefit from such taking place at one of our recommended online sportsbooks.

Customer support

Nobody likes reaching a point where they don’t have all the information necessary to proceed. So, if this ever happens to you at an online sportsbook, there needs to be a route in place to cater to your needs. That’s why we find the sites with the best customer support features and helpful advisors.

Range of Betting Markets

It’s important to join a sportsbook that allows you to bet on a variety of sports and associated events. That’s why our team have located the very best for this, ensuring that you get the greatest choice of online betting opportunities. This means you can bet on a variety of US leagues and professional sports teams as well, such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, NCAA college sports and much more, including NASCAR, boxing, golf and so on.

The Future of North Carolina Sports Betting & Online Gambling

History dictates the future for online gambling in the state, and this isn’t really a great thing. North Carolina has been heavily against gambling in general throughout the years, and therefore it’s likely that online gambling options won’t become available there at any point in the near future. That’s quite the same, as with so many other states progressing forward with their gambling options, it seems as though North Carolina will get left behind in this area. While it’s great that sports betting has been legalized in a certain way within the state, it’s not very likely that bettors within will be able to access this online any time soon.

Where Else is Online Gambling Legal in the US?

Best Online Casinos in North Carolina

If you’re interested in playing online casino games as well as betting on sports, then there are several that can be found catering to residents of North Carolina. Of course, we know of the very best ones of these too, so you can check out our collection of the best online casinos in North Carolina and find out which ones we recommend. So, you don’t have to travel to nearby Tennessee for casino options – you can simply engage in table games, slots and so on online.

The Bottom Line

North Carolina has gone through quite the history of standing firm against gambling of any sort. It’s due to this that it has taken so long for the state to go through legalization of gambling options, and even these remain quite limited in themselves. It would be nice to see the online opportunities become accessible in the state, although we won’t hold our breath for this to happen any time in the near future. It’s fortunate that there are still offshore sports betting options available, though.

North Carolina Sports Betting FAQs

What Is the Legal Gambling Age in North Carolina?

Entering into any of the casinos in North Carolina requires you to be at least 21, but you’re able to purchase lottery tickets from the age of 18.

Will North Carolina Ever Legalize Online Gambling?

That is a question that only the state itself can answer. For the time being, online gambling of any type is illegal and anyone trying to set such up can be prosecuted by the authorities.

Who Oversees Gambling in the State at the Moment?

It is the North Carolina Lottery Commission that currently oversees the state lottery, while tribal casinos and their inclusive sports betting operations are monitored via the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.

Are Gambling Winnings Taxed in North Carolina?

Yes, you must report any gambling winnings as income. This means that you are taxed on them at a flat rate of 5.25%.

Are Daily Fantasy Sports Legal in the State?

Yes, daily fantasy sports (DFS) are able to be accessed by residents of North Carolina. However, gaming is not yet officially regulated by lawmakers there. Discussion on such regulations are being held in the state House, but for now, DraftKings and FanDuel remain popular with residents.

Am I Safe Using Offshore Sportsbooks from within North Carolina?

Yes, you’re perfectly safe if you access one of our recommended offshore sites. These have all been tested and reviewed by our team of experts, which ensures your safety and security.

Jack Schiffko

Top 4 Sports Betting Sites For Players From North Carolina in 2021

Is North Carolina Sports Betting Legal? Yes!✅

The Top 4 Out-Of-State Sports Betting Sites Overview

How We Rate the Best North Carolina Sports Betting Sites