RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Mobile sports betting will begin in North Carolina on Monday, significantly expanding legalized gambling in the state.
The North Carolina Lottery Commission has set the official start date for March 11 at noon, but players can begin setting up accounts with various operators approved to place bets in the state. For more information, visit ncgaming.gov.
“The last 16 months have been a mad dash to get into as many states as possible,” said Rob Blazer, vice president of product for Fanatics Sportsbook, which has partnered with the Carolina Hurricanes. “North Carolina is a great market to be a part of. There are a lot of opportunities here and a lot of passionate sports fans.”
A bipartisan analysis by the Legislature's Fiscal Research Division predicts that by the fifth year of sports betting operations, the state will generate about $100 million a year in revenue, or about $71.6 million after expenses. has been done.
Opponents of legalizing sports betting have expressed concerns about how it will encourage problem gambling. North Carolina Problem Gambling Program leaders previously told CBS 17 they are preparing for a potential surge in activity.
The first $2 million in revenue from sports betting will be donated to problem gambling programs.
Brazer said the Fanatics app allows users to set limits for themselves, including how much they can bet per week and how much time they spend on the app. The state also created an option for people to opt out of signing up for various betting apps and receiving targeted ads.
“I think even offshore books, where funding is uncertain, provide better and more secure access than any other mechanism people are using today. Not surprisingly, this industry is highly regulated and “We're working hard,” Blazer said. “These things exist and are in place so that customers can use sports betting within their means as entertainment as it should be.”
Brad Senkiw, who reports on the sports betting industry for Covers.com, said North Carolina is an important market for these companies and will be the largest state to launch full-scale sports betting this year. .
“It's big. It's one of the big states that has come up in a while,” Senkyu said. “I'm hopeful that things will go smoothly on Monday. I don't think these apps will crash or have any issues. That's why they're actually doing pre-registration. is.”
He also said North Carolina could attract customers from other states. He noted that Virginia does not allow betting on in-state college teams. North Carolina has no such restrictions.
“So anyone who wants to bet on Virginia/Virginia Tech can come across the border to North Carolina and bet on their favorite team,” he said.
Various betting operators will also be able to open in-person sportsbooks at professional venues such as PNC Arena later this year, although the NC Lottery Commission has not set a start date.
“We haven’t touched mobile at all. In many states, mobile sports betting accounts for 95-97%. [of the activity]” said Senkyu.
