American Gambling Markets Atlas (AGMA)

States / North Carolina / Sports betting

Is sports betting legal in North Carolina?

Yes. In North Carolina, online and in-person sports betting are legal (as of Oct 12, 2026). Online betting launched Mar 11, 2024; in-person betting Mar 2021. Operators pay 18% GGR in tax.

ChannelStatusLaunchedModelDetails
Sports (online)LiveMar 11, 2024CompetitiveUp to 12 interactive sports wagering operator licenses contemplated at passage; a later 2023 amendment required online operators to hold a written designation agreement with an in-state sports team/facility/governing body, narrowing the practical field. As of Oct. 2026 the Lottery Commission's approved-licensee list shows 7 interactive operators (FanDuel, BetMGM, DraftKings/Crown NC, Fanatics, bet365, theScore Bet, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians' tribal gaming enterprise).
N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 18C-901 et seq.
[1],[2],[3]
Sports (retail)LiveMar 2021HybridA 2019 law let tribal gaming compacts be amended to add retail sportsbooks; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opened the first retail sportsbook in 2021, Catawba Nation followed in 2022. The 2023 law (effective Jan. 2024) additionally authorizes retail wagering at 8 designated professional sports venues.
N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 18C, Article 9
[1],[4]

Tax rate

RateSinceNotes
18% GGR (total)Jan 8, 2024Rate applies uniformly to interactive (online) and retail sports wagering operators' gross wagering revenue; "gross wagering revenue" (§ 18C-901(7)) is wagers less winnings paid, before expense/fee/tax deductions, i.e. no separate promo deduction identified.[5]
18% GGR (retail)Jan 8, 2024Same combined online/retail 18% rate as sports_online above; the statute taxes "gross wagering revenue" uniformly regardless of channel, covering both tribal retail sportsbooks (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Catawba Nation) and the 8 designated professional-sports-venue retail locations authorized effective Jan. 2024.[5]

Rules

Minimum age to place a sports wager
21[3]
Wagering on college sports allowed at all
Yes[3]
Wagering on in-state college teams allowed
Yes · No statutory restriction on wagering involving in-state college teams, unlike some other states.[6]
Individual college player prop bets allowed
Yes · North Carolina is among the states that still allow unrestricted college player prop bets; 2024 and 2025 bills to ban them did not pass.[6]
Credit cards may be used to fund accounts
Yes · "Cash equivalent" under the statutory definition of permitted wagering funds includes credit cards and debit cards.[7]
Esports wagering allowed
Yes[8],[9]
New online accounts must be created in person
No · Bettors sign up for accounts through an operator's app or website; identity is verified with name, address, and Social Security number or other ID.[10]
Micro-betting / in-play single-event outcomes allowed
Yes · In-game/in-play and proposition wagers are included in the statutory definition of sports wagering (§ 18C-901(19)).[3]
Online sports wagering available statewide (not tethered to premises)
Yes[3]
Operators must use official league data for some bets
No · § 18C-914(c) does not require official league data for certain tier-one results or non-U.S. organization tier-two wagers.[3]
Summary of prop-bet restrictions (e.g. no in-game player props)
Wagers on injuries, penalties/disciplinary outcomes, and replay-review results are barred (§ 18C-902(d)(2)).[3]

Licensed sportsbooks

OperatorBrandChannelStatusLaunched
bet365bet365Sports (online)activeMar 11, 2024[11],[12]
BetMGMBetMGMSports (online)activeMar 11, 2024[11],[12]
Caesars EntertainmentCaesars SportsbookSports (online)activeMar 11, 2024[11],[12]
DraftKingsDraftKings SportsbookSports (online)activeMar 11, 2024[11],[12]
Fanatics Betting and GamingFanatics SportsbookSports (online)activeMar 11, 2024[11],[12]
FanDuelFanDuel SportsbookSports (online)activeMar 11, 2024[11],[12]
PENN EntertainmenttheScore BetSports (online)activeMar 11, 2024[11],[12]

All gambling laws in North Carolina → · Sports betting in every state →

Sources

  1. Gambling in North Carolina · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    secondary source only; used for historical narrative, cross-checked against primary ncleg.gov statute text where cited separately.

  2. Approved Licensees · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  3. N.C. General Statutes, Chapter 18C, Article 9 — Sports Wagering · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  4. North Carolina State Lottery Commission — Gaming · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  5. N.C. General Statutes § 105-113.126 — Tax on sports wagering · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  6. Betting on Reform: North Carolina Looks to Ban College Prop Bets · retrieved Oct 11, 2026

    Sept. 2025 legal-academic article; 2025 bill HB 828 to ban college player props had not passed as of that writing.

  7. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 18C-901 — Definitions · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
  8. Bill Summary for H 347 (2023-2024) · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    Secondary source only; summarizes S.L. 2023-42's definition of "sports governing body" (electronic sports governing body = the video game publisher) and the 10-12 operator licensing structure covering electronic sports among wagering categories.

  9. North Carolina Regulators Approve Retail Sports Betting Compliance Proposal · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    Secondary source only; reports the Lottery Commission's September 2024 approval of Electronic Sports Guidance and a petition process for adding esports events/titles to the approved wagering catalog.

  10. North Carolina Opens Sports Betting Pre-Registration · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
  11. Approved Licensees · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
  12. N.C. General Statutes, Chapter 18C, Article 9 -- Sports Wagering · retrieved Oct 10, 2026

    Statewide interactive sports-wagering launch date (March 11, 2024) carried over from data/jurisdictions/NC.yaml's existing sports_online entry; not a direct quote from the statute text itself, which sets the legal framework rather than the specific launch date.