The North Carolina online sports betting launch is off to a strong start, with mobile apps and betting websites accepting their first wagers in the state on March 11, 2024. While online betting tends to dominate the market in states where both forms are legal, there is still a strong demand for in-person sports betting.
In this piece, we’ll take a look at what North Carolina sports betting locations are up and operating, which operators are planning a retail presence in the state, and what the path to opening those facilities will look like.
Note that for clarification in this piece, we will use the term “retail sportsbooks” to include all in-person locations where you can gamble using a particular bookie. While the term “retail sportsbooks” by definition only applies to designated betting locations owned and operated by the bookie or its parent company, the term has become somewhat blurred to include all in-person gambling locations.
List of all retail sportsbooks in North Carolina
While this list of all retail sportsbooks in North Carolina is relatively small at the moment, we expect it to grow following the state’s launch of online sports betting in March 2024.
What types of sports betting locations exist in North Carolina?
As of February 2024, the only sports betting locations that exist in North Carolina are the bookmakers operating at the state’s tribal casinos. However, with sports betting expansion coming in March 2024, it’s possible that we see more brick-and-mortar sports betting locations in NC.
For example, BetMGM has partnered with Charlotte Motor Speedway, Fanatics has partnered with the Carolina Hurricanes and Carolina Panthers, FanDuel signed a deal with the Carolina Panthers, and bet365 is the official betting partner of the Charlotte Hornets. After the online sports betting launch, it’s possible those operators could look to set up a physical presence at or near the sporting venues.
Casinos
Each of North Carolina’s three tribal casinos operates a sportsbook, and for now, they’re the only in-person betting options in the state. The two Harrah’s casinos have partnered with Caesars, opening their sportsbooks in 2021, while Catawba Two Kings runs its own branded sportsbook that went live in September 2022.
At Two Kings, sports betting is done through a betting kiosk, with players able to print their betting slip from a bookie machine; the Harrah’s venues both have kiosks along with staffed betting windows.
Beyond the sportsbooks, you’ll also be able to watch your wagers play out in real time at the betting lounges at the casinos, potentially with a sports bar or restaurant connected to the operation.
