State lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to legalizing sports gambling on mobile devices and at select in-person sports venues across North Carolina, paving the way for betting to begin next year.
Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, still must sign the bill into law, but he has expressed support for sports wagering throughout the lengthy legislative process.
The House gave its second concurrence to changes made by the Senate to House Bill 347, which allows betting from mobile devices on professional, college, electronic and Olympic sports as well as horse racing. The bill allows in-person sports betting at eight facilities across the state. It allows 12 mobile operators to secure five-year renewable licenses at a cost of $1 million. The operators have to pay 18% tax on gross gaming revenue.
