Can't Bet on FanDuel From NC: New Bill Re-Emerges

Written by:
Gilbert Horowitz
Published on:
Nov/11/2021

Currently there are a few dozen online sports betting sites that are accessible from North Carolina, among them our friends at BetOnline, but FanDuel is not one of them.  FanDuel works under the strict regulatory guidelines set forth by individual states when it comes to amending laws pertaining to sports gambling.  In the case of NC, while the activity is legal, they are yet to allow for in-state licensing of mobile websites.

The only in-state licensed sportsbook operation can be found in the far off Southwest corner of the state, away from any major North Carolina cities at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.  Caesar’s Entertainment, and William Hill gained a foothold here to run the sportsbook.  FanDuel still does not have any presence in the state.

The process to expand further has gone at a snail's pace.

In July 2019, the N.C. State House and Senate passed N.C. Senate Bill 154. Governor Cooper signed it this month as well, but there were still hang-ups.

“I suppose you really would have to ask the Governor’s legal team as to what the hold-up was,” said Chief Sneed.  “We’ve been involved in Class 3 gaming for over a decade. We have a very extensive and comprehensive Class 3 gaming compact with the State already. In the opinion of our legal team, we were simply adding one more Class 3 gaming amenity. So, all of the frameworks were already in place. All guidelines and regulations were already in place. We were simply adding one more game. To me, it was political. But that’s just my opinion.” 

But last week came word of some progress as Senate legislation to authorize and regulate sports gambling in North Carolina reemerged in the House and a committee voted to advance the measure with support that doesn’t cut neatly along party lines.

The measure, which the Senate already approved in August with bipartisan support, must still go through three other House committees before it could reach the House floor.   The odds of this all happening by year's end are slim to none, but there is always next year.

“It’s got a long way to go,” said Rep. Jason Saine, a Lincoln County Republican and another bill manager, adding that there was no strategy to rush the measure through in the waning days of this year’s legislative session.

“This is something that we can’t ignore. It’s already here,” said Rep. Jon Hardister, a Guilford County Republican who helped shepherd the Senate measure through the House Commerce Committee in a 12-4 vote. “We need to establish the framework, we need to derive the revenue.”

Mobile sports betting for now will only be available courtesy of out-of-state websites like BetOnline, which will gleefully take bets on all the NC heavy hitters in College Basketball.  Duke opened the season at 14-1 odds to win the 2022 NCAA Men's College Basketball Championship while UNC was at 30-1 odds and NC State came in at 80-1 odds.

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com

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