North Carolina Sports Betting Legislation Gets a Yes From the House

It's been a long battle in North Carolina. Last year, a sports betting bill hit the House floor only to be defeated by a single vote. This time, House sports betting proponents left no doubt as House Bill 347 was passed on March 29, 2023, by a lopsided vote of 64-45.

This was satisfying news for bill sponsor Representative Jason Saine. This is what he had to say to the press after the bill passed: “The overwhelming majority of people view sports betting as a form of entertainment that consenting adults should have the right to do.”

Carrying the Ball Over the Goalline

While the vote on House Bill 347 went smoothly, there were plenty of legislators that were trying to stop North Carolina residents from getting the right to legally wager on sports events. Here is a look at some of the proposed amendments that were directed at the bill by opponents

• A ban on college sports betting
  
• Licensing fees as high as $10 million
  
• Match of New York's tax rate on gambling revenue (51%)
  
• Disallow bonus promotions
  
• Put off the launch of sports betting to 2026
  
• No online sports betting, only retail in-person betting
  

There was a total of 17 amendments that would have essentially wrecked this bill. Fortunately for NC residents, each one of them went down to defeat. It is worth noting that bill opponents like Rep. John Audtry didn't take kindly to all of the amendments going by the wayside.

What's in the Bill?

As the saying goes, "the devil is in the details. " The details of this bill are what the Senate will be debating and eventually voting on before the bill goes to Governor Roy Cooper's desk for signature. Here is a look at some of the key provisions in House Bill 347:

• The North Carolina State Lottery Commission will oversee sports betting operations
  
• Guaranteed sports betting licensing for all NC Indian Tribes
  
• Twelve (12) online betting licenses will be issued, not including licenses given to Tribes
  
• Commercial Operators may not accept bets initiated from Indian lands
  
• 5-year licenses issued at $1 million per license
  
• Tax rate on gross revenue will be set at 14%
  
• Official League Data must be used to support in-game wagering

What to Expect Going Forward

As House Bill 347 heads to the Senate, there is much cause for optimism. Last year, the Senate passed a big piece of sports betting legislation that eventually failed. With that said, it appears the Senate might well give a thumbs up to this bill as is. If that were to happen, the Governor's support seems clear as he already included sports betting tax revenue in his executive budget for this year.

If something is to get done this year, it's worth noting that the state's legislative session will end on August 31, 2023. If this were to happen, it is possible online sports betting windows would be open by the end of the year.