When and where retail sports betting will begin is still unspecified, but the North Carolina Lottery Commission unanimously approved a certificate of compliance proposal on Wednesday that allows regulators to start moving forward with the operational process.
To obtain and maintain a compliance certificate, operators must be in good standing with regulators, submit operational documents, obtain lab certification, host on-site inspections before launch, and meet other regulator requirements to open a permanent retail sportsbook.
This certificate doesn’t include temporary facilities or pari-mutuel wagering.
The commission’s staff will coordinate with individual operators to get in-person facilities operational, so there is no state-wide launch date.
“There is a great deal that goes into an opening of this space,” Sterl Carpenter, deputy executive director of Gaming Compliance and Sports Betting, said during Wednesday’s meeting. “It’s almost like a tiny casino.”
Missing out
North Carolina legalized sports betting in 2023, but online wagering was easier and quicker to launch, so the lottery commission prioritized licensing and regulating mobile for March operations.
Lawmakers did approve retail sportsbooks located at or adjacent to major sports venues around the state, including the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Quail Hollow Golf Club, Bank of America Stadium, and PNC Arena.
However, football season began without an in-person wagering site at the home of the Carolina Panthers, and the state missed out on major PGA and NASCAR events over the summer.
With the NBA and NHL starting in October, and college basketball in November, there’s still time to cash in on retail revenue before those seasons conclude next year.
Brick-and-mortar shops don’t come close to generating what online sports betting can, but North Carolina should still do well in the in-person category with so many major sports.
Mobile wagering has generated over $2 billion in wagers and $275 million in revenue, allowing the state to haul in $50 million in taxes since March.
Closer to esports
The N.C. Lottery Commission also unanimously approved an esports guidance and petition proposal on Wednesday that gets Tar Heel State operators closer to offering wagers on those events.
“After review of the guidance documents and the newly developed petition for esporting events, we’ve taken these special considerations into account,” Carpenter said. “The petition delves into six sections to get all of the information that will be needed to educate and inform staff on whether an esports event will have enough oversight and security to allow for wagering in the state of North Carolina.”
The guidance documents will be presented to licensed sports betting operators and published at ncgaming.gov.
