Charlotte, North Carolina (queen city news) — North Carolina Lottery officials project that bettors will wager about $600 million within the first month of legalized sports betting.
They base their predictions on Wednesday's sports betting report, which outlined the amounts wagered on the first day and week that people were able to place bets.
Since March 11, North Carolinians have wagered approximately $116.8 million of their own money, in addition to $81.3 million worth of free promotional bets from gambling platforms, according to the report.
State officials estimate that about $7.7 million in tax revenue could be collected that week, taking into account winner's dividends and book operators' share.
“No matter how you look at it, mobile sports betting in North Carolina is off to a strong start,” said Stahl Carpenter of NC Education Lotry.
The large amount of money that fans put into sports betting has made some people irrational about the game. Sports advocacy groups report that when athletes fail to meet bettors' expectations, online harassment from fans increases dramatically.
In response, NCAA officials said they plan to lobby state legislatures to ban prop bets at the collegiate level.
NCAA President Charlie Baker released a statement Wednesday.
“The problem of sports betting is on the rise nationally, with prop wagering continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and student-athletes and professional athletes being harassed. Many states have responded by banning college prop bets. This week, we reached out to officials in states across the country that still allow these bets, including Ohio State. , Vermont, Maryland, and many other states in calling for the removal of college prop bets from all betting markets. The NCAA is committed to protecting student-athletes and protecting the integrity of the game. While we are drawing the line under sports betting, the issues that have occurred across the country in recent days show that there is still work to be done.”
Seth Elkin, a spokesperson for the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Authority, sent the following statement to Queen City News:
“Maryland Lottery and Gaming has directed Maryland sportsbook operators to discontinue prop bets on college athletes starting March 1, 2024, and the State of Maryland will no longer accept these types of bets. It became the 12th state to ban it.'' This decision was made to protect college athletes from potential pressure and harassment related to their individual statistical performance. The goal is to focus college sports betting on teams rather than individual athletes. ”
Prop bets are also scrutinized at the professional level. The NBA opened an investigation into Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors this week.
Anonymous sources told The Associated Press that suspicious prop bets on the player during games on Jan. 26 and March 20 raised red flags for investigators.
Porter left the game early, citing injury or illness, and never got close to the prop betting line for points or rebounds. ESPN reports that these bets were some of the biggest payouts of each night.
Porter is currently not with the team, citing personal reasons that have caused him to miss the past three games.
League officials require players to participate in an anti-gambling training session sponsored by their team or the NBA at least once a year. Players who bet on games may be subject to sanctions from the Commissioner. Penalties may include disqualification from the league.
The National Problem Gambling Hotline is 1-800-GAMBLER. Operators can connect callers to local resources.
