North Carolina Sports Betting

North Carolina promos and bonuses

The addition of mobile sports betting in NC will mean bonuses and offers galore for anyone making wagers within state lines. We encourage everyone to maximize their bonus and offer exposure, since many of these first-time inducements result in real cash landing in sports bettors’ accounts, with little playthrough required (for the most part).

North Carolina sports betting quick facts

How to bet in North Carolina

Choose your sportsbook

When sports betting is legalized in NC, you can consult our top list for the best sports betting options available to you. Our interactive list will allow you to sort sportsbooks based on a number of criteria, including banking options, bonuses and quality of customer service.

If you’re looking for more information before making your choice, be sure to check out our detailed, unbiased reviews for each of the top sportsbooks in North Carolina once sports betting is legalized. This is especially important if you want to understand how each book’s bonus offers work.

Register online

Registration requirements will vary slightly by sportsbook, but most follow the same protocols. Be sure to have your personal information (name, address, phone number) and credit card details (number, expiry date, CVV) handy.

Deposit and claim your bonus

Once you’re comfortable with how your sportsbook’s new signup bonus works, it will be time to make your initial deposit and claim that sweet bonus. The majority of first-time offers for North Carolina residents should come in one of two forms:

• Risk-free bets: This offer guarantees you a refund on your first wager if it is graded as a loss. The sportsbook will refund your initial bet amount (up to a specific limit) either as cash or as site credit.
  
  
• Deposit match: This offer sees the sportsbook match your initial deposit dollar-for-dollar, though there are two caveats. The deposit match will come with a maximum limit, and in the majority of cases you will be required to “play through” your initial deposit by a certain multiple in order to earn the bonus.

Select and finalize your bet

Congratulations! You’re ready to place a wager. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the app interface before diving in. Most mobile operators make it easy for new sports bettors to navigate, but it’s still a good idea to know where everything is.

From there, you can place any type of wager you like; the most popular bet types are the moneyline, spread or total. You can also dive into team or player props, or even kick things off with a futures bet.

Once you have the desired wager(s) in your betting card, take one last look to ensure you’ve made the selections you want. If everything is good, simply click the “Bet” button – and you’re off!

North Carolina legal sports betting history

For as quickly as North Carolina implemented its first piece of sports betting legislation, it’s surprising to many that online regulations still aren’t in place.

Alas, North Carolina residents and visitors will need to wait a while longer before they’re permitted to wager via phone. Bill HB 688 stalled in committee and didn't pass before the late June cutoff, pushing the discussion until 2023 at the earliest. 

Here’s a look at North Carolina’s sports betting history:

2019

Just over a year after the U.S. Supreme Court repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act – paving the way for states to approve legal sports betting – North Carolina went to work.

Governor Roy Cooper signed S 154 into law in late-July, legalizing retail sports betting within the states. Tribal lands were the only areas authorized to provide sports betting, with the Eastern Band of Cherokee considered the only eligible tribe at the time.

2020

The new year saw a dispute between the Eastern Band of Cherokee and the Catawba Nation, which had been approved to build a casino in Kings Mountain.

After months of negotiations that began in March 2020, Cooper entered into gaming compacts with both tribes, allowing each to offer most forms of gambling – including sports betting.

2021

Once Cooper reached agreements with both tribes, the Eastern Band of Cherokee moved quickly to get legal sports betting venues in place – and landed a partnership with Caesars, which opened sportsbooks at two Harrah’s casinos on March 18.

That kickstarted a wild four-week stretch during which the Catawba Nation’s gaming compact was approved by the federal government, a judge green-lit Catawba’s request for a Kings Mountain casino, and bill SB 688 was introduced.

Yet, while both the House and the Senate approved the bill, it would still need to pass through three more committees before it could be signed into law. 

2022

While SB 688 continued to be fine-tuned – highlighted by the decision to make sports betting in the state controlled by the lottery – legislators expressed optimism that the bill would be approved in plenty of time for the start of football season.

Yet, despite having been approved by the House and Senate a year earlier, it did not make it through the approval process before the end of the 2022 legislative session.

Responsible Gaming in North Carolina

Like most states, North Carolina has put safeguards in place to ensure that bettors have a way out of any potential trouble spots. 

The North Carolina Council on Problem Gaming offers instant access to programs that help with gambling addiction. Visitors can reach out to any number of resources from the site, including Gamblers Anonymous, Gam-Anon and mental health services.

Visit the North Carolina Council on Problem Gaming site.

Sports leagues to bet on

It will come as no surprise to see a rather extensive list of major professional and amateur sports available to North Carolina bettors – a list that includes (but is not limited to):

• NFL
• NCAA Football
• NBA
• NCAA Basketball
• MLB
• NHL
• Golf
• Auto Racing
• Tennis
• Soccer
• MMA

That doesn’t leave much off the table, but there are three major markets in which wagering in North Carolina is prohibited:

• Politics
• Entertainment (including major awards ceremonies)
• Esports

North Carolina teams to bet on

North Carolina might be known as a basketball hotbed, but we shouldn't ignore the fact that fans unwaveringly support the local pro football and hockey franchises, as well.

Here’s a look at the two major professional franchises that play their home games in North Carolina:

Carolina Panthers betting

The Panthers should be an interesting betting target ahead of the 2022 NFL season, with quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold both looking to salvage their respective careers. Don't be surprised to see major sportsbooks line up to affiliate themselves with the Panthers and Bank of America Stadium; expect at least one official betting partner, and plenty of signage agreements, as well.

Carolina Hurricanes betting

As the only non-NFL professional sports franchise in North Carolina, the Hurricanes should garner plenty of interest from sportsbook partners, as well. We've seen countless NBA and NHL arenas forge alliances with sports betting operators, resulting in signage agreements and construction or rebranding of bars and lounges with sports betting at the forefront.

North Carolina retail sportsbooks

While it might be a while yet before North Carolinians have the luxury of making sports wagers from their mobile devices, they at least have a physical location where they can place bets. Unfortunately for those who live in or near the state’s two most populous cities, NC’s two casino-based sportsbooks are nowhere close.

Here’s a list of the in-person sportsbooks available to those in North Carolina:

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Caesars Sportsbook, 777 Casino Dr., Cherokee, NC, 28719)

Harrrah’s Cherokee Valley River (Caesars Sportsbook, 777 Casino Pkwy, Murphy, NC, 28906)