A new bill that would allow the introduction of online sports betting is set to be tabled in North Carolina’s General Assembly. Both the Democrat Governor Roy Cooper and a lead Republican lawmaker are strong proponents of the bill, believing it will pass.
Cooper commented: “You know, I think it’s going to pass, from what I hear,” when speaking to local North Carolina reporters, just ahead of an NHL Carolina Hurricanes game. The Old North State boasts a number of popular teams who would probably attract sports fans to wager if the bill were to be made into law.
College basketball is also very popular in North Carolina and the NC State versus UNC Men’s game attracted huge crowds last Sunday when it was played out in Raleigh, NC.
Despite his backing of the online sports betting bill, Cooper opined that he wouldn’t place a bet on either the Hurricanes or the NC State game, playfully saying: “I would be a poor sports wagerer because I would wager with my heart and not my mind.”
The Old North State has a fragmented legalized betting setup. People can wager on games at casinos in Western North Carolina, but it would take a change in the law for them to be allowed to bet elsewhere.
The locations that North Carolinians can bet at currently are Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort, Cherokee and Harrah's Cherokee Valley River, Murphy.
This bill would extend state residents' ability to place sports bets at lounges located at professional sports venues and on their mobiles and other devices.
