North Carolina

North Carolina Online Gambling & Sportsbooks in 2022

Whilst sports betting is legal in North Carolina, a bill to introduce online sports betting failed to pass earlier in 2022 and by the end of the year there seems little hope that this will change. If online sports betting does become available in North Carolina, the earliest it may be introduced is 2024.

As with sports betting, as of 2022 there are currently no legal online casinos for gambling within the state, and this doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon.

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Best New Casinos in North Carolina

Although players from North Carolina are extremely limited by casino-style games at brick and mortar casinos – online is a different story! This is because the best new casinos in North Carolina, such as the ones below, are available for online gambling. But what makes these the best legal online casinos?

For starters, these are Bitcoin casinos that also accept US dollars. They make depositing easier, faster, and safer by accepting major credit cards, altcoins, or Bitcoins from your crypto wallet. These online casinos have fast withdrawal times and higher cashout limits. They also have enjoyable online slots and video poker games which make them popular NC gambling sites.

North Carolinians can find live dealer games, online slot machines, and table games from leading providers such as Rival Games, Realtime Gaming, Betsoft, ViG, and more. Whether you’re looking to play slots, video poker, specialty games, or other online casino games, you’re sure to find the real money games you’re after. New players can opt-in to a welcome bonus consisting of a match deposit and often free spins too.

On the other hand, regular players will find ongoing promotions at these offshore gambling sites that may include match deposits, cashback, free spins, tournaments, VIP loyalty points, and more. With no domestic online gambling sites as competition, they stand out even more as the best choices! Find out more in our handy casino reviews.

Best Bonuses in North Carolina Casinos

Online casino players from North Carolina can now find the best bonuses in North Carolina casinos under one roof. These Bitcoin casinos offer more bonus money on average than many other casinos on your first (or sometimes first few) deposit of US dollars, Bitcoins, or altcoins. We’ve also reviewed the bonus T&Cs and playthrough wagering requirements to determine that they are fair. Why not have a look for yourself?

North Carolina Gambling Overview

North Carolina has long resisted the pressure to expand gambling. This is why legal forms are limited to the North Carolina Education Lottery, charitable gaming, and tribal-owned casinos. The option to play online casino games is not even on the horizon. Anyone waiting for fully-regulated North Carolina online casinos is likely to be waiting for some time.

The reluctance to liberalize gambling laws is partially the result of the conservative Bible Belt beliefs. Commercial casinos, VLTs, online casino gambling, pari-mutuel wagering on horse races, and sports betting are all illegal. However, sports betting is permitted on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ tribal land in Murphy and Cherokee.

In the first week of April 2021, Senate Bill 629 was filed in an attempt to authorize thoroughbred horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering. Two additional Bills (HB631 and SB688) were submitted to legalize and regulate sports betting. Resistance to change has been ever-present, and at present the online gambling laws remain unchanged.

Lottery

The North Carolina state lottery is operated and regulated by the North Carolina Education Lottery. Lottery players can purchase tickets from one of 7,000+ participating retailers throughout the state.

The operator sells several tickets, including ones for statewide and interstate draws. Some of these include Pick 3, Pick 4, Cash 5, keno, Powerball, Lucky For Life, Mega Millions, Fast Play Games, and scratch-offs.

Charitable Gaming

North Carolina is regulated by the Department of Public Safety, a division of ‘Alcohol Law Enforcement.’ North Carolina permits three types of charitable gaming:

Game Nights

Includes casino-style games like blackjack, roulette, craps, and poker, legalized on June 1, 2019.

Bingo

A traditional game, declining in popularity, played on physical cards. Non-profit organizations recognized by the Secretary of State may offer bingo to raise funds. Events are limited to no more than two games per week, with prizes capped at $500 each. Beach bingo is a bingo game with prizes that do not exceed $10 and can be offered at commercial establishments.

Raffles

Organizations may also run up to four raffles per year with total cash prizes of no more than $125,000 in cash or merchandise.

Land-based Casinos

North Carolina had just two land-based tribal casinos, both run by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. A third casino however was opened in July 2021 by the Catawba Indians after a long legal case. Two Kings casino now becomes the first ever land-based gambling establishment in the Charlotte region.

Visitors to these land-based casinos in North Carolina can enjoy slot machines, sportsbooks, and table games. Furthermore, they can enjoy live blackjack, craps, roulette, 3 Card Poker, and Mississippi Stud. There are typically over 1,000 games, with bet sizes ranging from $0.01-$100 per round.

 

Tribal Casinos	Address	Website
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort	777 Casino Dr. – Cherokee, NC 28719	caesars.com
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River	777 Casino Pkwy – Murphy, NC 28906	caesars.com
Catawba Two Kings Casino	538 Kings Mountain Blvd. Kings Mountain, NC 28086	twokingscasino.com

North Carolina Casinos Map

 

 

North Carolina Gambling History

The history of gambling in North Carolina dates as far back as 1749, when the General Assembly discouraged excessive gambling laws. They would do this by invalidating gambling debts exceeding a threshold. By 1753 gambling debts were invalidated entirely, and public gambling was forbidden. Gambling losses were limited to 40s/day. This was reduced to 5s/day in 1763.

Desperate to find alternative funding sources, antigambling laws were repealed in 1784. New taxes were applied on dice and card games. Lotteries were permitted intermittently to finance projects. Between 1809 and 1835, 62 lotteries were permitted.

Negative sentiment towards lotteries nationwide led to their banning in 1835. 10 years later, bingo was legalized at fairs and exhibitions in the county of Mecklenburg. Other towns and counties began to follow suit. By 1973 alternative games like ‘skilo’ were authorized.

In 1977, additional laws followed authorizing charitable raffles alongside bingo in some counties. This jumble of laws was finally replaced in 1979 with a statewide North Carolina law that legalized charitable bingo and raffles.

It wasn’t until 2005 that the North Carolina Education Lottery was legalized in support of education.

On July 1, 2007, video poker and video gaming machines became illegal in North Carolina. The state defines (VGMs) as video poker, video card games, video craps, video keno, video lottery, video bingo, et cetera. These are games of chance based on random outcomes.

Fast forward to 2017, a House Bill to regulate fantasy sports failed to garner the necessary support. In 2019, HB729 again attempted to regulate fantasy sports but also failed to pass. HB954 to authorize and regulate VLTs passed 1st reading on May 12, 2021, in the House and referred to the Committee on Commerce.

North Carolina Gambling FAQ

What is the legal gambling age in North Carolina?

The legal gambling age to participate in lotteries and charitable gaming is 18 and over. However, to participate in casino games at a tribal casino, players must be at least 21 years old.

Does North Carolina have land-based casinos?

Yes, North Carolina has 2 land-based tribal casinos run by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Commercial casinos are not authorized in the state. Neither are online casinos, which means offshore gambling sites are the only option for people looking to play casino games at online casinos in North Carolina.

Does North Carolina have a state lottery?

Yes, North Carolina has a state lottery where players can purchase state or interstate tickets from one of over 7,000 authorized retailers.

Is sports betting legal in North Carolina?

Sports betting is currently prohibited in North Carolina, except for sportsbooks offered at tribal casinos. As with many other states, there have been bills mooted that would regulate sports betting, but as the difficulty with fantasy sports shows, gaining consensus around the issue is problematic.

Can I find daily fantasy contests in North Carolina?

No, despite attempts to legalize fantasy sports contests, it is currently not authorized in North Carolina. Nonetheless, it is not strictly forbidden, as its status with regard to sports betting is not altogether clear.

Conclusion

Although North Carolina has traditionally been a less gambling-friendly state, things are beginning to change. Still, North Carolina has a long way to go with just 2 land-based casinos, a state lottery, and charitable gaming. In 2021, we continued to see a push for online gambling, including sports betting, but the outcome and timeline for change remain unclear.

Interactive gaming, including online casinos, is still not legal. However, we hope this will change soon. Until then, some offshore online casinos accept players from North Carolina. You can find some of the best new casinos for online casino gambling and bonuses in our article. We also invite you to visit us for updates on the sports betting situation in North Carolina periodically.