Here is an overview of the North Carolina online casino scene. At the moment, there is no law in place to allow an online casino to operate in the Old North State. This means that there is no way of legally playing in a casino here. However, online sports betting has been lagalized and betting sites are live in North Carolina in September 2023.
It is likely to involve a few, carefully selected operators getting a license to open their online casino. As we have seen in other states such as New Jersey or Michigan, this means that the biggest brands with excellent customer service and a fully-professional approach are given the go-ahead and will provide casino games in North Carolina.
Good news though!
Senate Leader Phil Berger has informed the media that top figures in the chamber are actively discussing the possibility of allowing casinos on lands not belonging to tribes, implementing rules to oversee video gambling machines, or perhaps even both options.
North Carolina Online Legal Gambling Overview
North Carolina became the latest state to join the ranks of those offering legal and regulated sport betting when sports betting sites launched in the Tar Heel State on March 11, 2024. Both retail and online/mobile wagering is accessible to sports bettors in North Carolina.
There is also land-based casino gambling offered in North Carolina. The North Carolina Education Lottery first launched in 2006. Pari mutuel wagering on horse racing, both in person and online, is also legal in the state, as is daily fantasy sports.
North Carolina Best Gambling Sites
With the popularity of NASCAR and the excess of pro and college sports teams in the Tar Heel State, expectations were that sports betting could explode in popularity across North Carolina. Those high expectations are actually being surpassed.
It took less than two months for North Carolinans to top $1 billion in bets at the state’s sportsbooks.
There are eight sportsbooks currently operating in North Carolina. Let’s take a deeper look at what some of them are offering.
Bet365: A British-based sports betting company, Bet365 is a powerhouse in Europe and Asia. They are ramping up their presence in the US market and were among the sites launching from Day 1 in North Carolina on March 11, 2024. Bet365 is known for offering a massive array and depth of betting markets, with a strong emphasis on live betting and parlays.
BetMGM: Billed as the king of sportsbooks, BetMGM brings to the table decades of experience in the industry. They offer a site that is sleek and easy to navigate and a smooth as silk app. From bet types to betting markets, to promotions and loyalty rewards, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a site that beats the package that BetMGM provides.
Fanatics: A newcomer to the sports betting realm, Fanatics acquired the US markets previously occupied by PointsBet. After building their brand by selling licensed sports apparel, Fanatics is utilizing that strength to offer unique promotions. They give players access to exchange points earned from sports betting for apparel from their favorite sports teams.
Underdog: Here’s another newbie entering sports betting. Following the recipe cooked up by FanDuel and DraftKings, Underdog is seeking to make the move from DFS site to sportsbook. There is a DFS theme to many of their wagers, offering pick’em plays and a heavy emphasis on player stats props, along with same-game or multi-sport parlays.
North Carolina Online Casinos
There are three brick and mortar tribal casinos operating in North Carolina. However, the rapid growth and success of online sports betting doesn’t appear to be creating a carryover effect that would see state lawmakers moving quickly to legalize online casino gambling.
A plan to add a proposal to legalize online casino gambling to the state’s 2024-25 budget discussion was showing early promise, but took a hard 180-degree turn in the other direction in the spring of 2024. A breakdown between Republicans and Democrats regarding which companies would gain control of the online casino market is at the root of this change.
Ultimately, the proposed amendment hasn’t even reached the discussion stage in either the state house or senate.
North Carolina Best Online Casinos (Expected in 2024)
Online Casino Sites in North Carolina
While you need to wait to see what sites can operate here, we can get an idea of what to expect from a North Carolina online casino by looking at the brand that operates in other states. They are probably going to be the brands that seek a license here.
The biggest and most trustworthy names in the business should look to open their online casino in North Carolina once they can.
Based on the most recent regulatory developments and the betting market in the nearby states (VA, WV etc.) several large players are expected to line up with FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars Casino and DraftKings being the obvious bets as the first movers.
Can you gamble online in North Carolina?
| Online casino | Expected 2024 |
| Sports betting | Legal from September 2023 |
| Horse racing online betting | Legal |
| Poker | Only legal on tribal lands |
There are no licensed online casinos in North Carolina yet. We expect betMGM, Borgata, Betrivers to open their virtual doors once approved. Check out top casino sites, including bonuses here. Try betMGM casino or play with the bet365 casino bonus code USB365 and claim free spins.
Best Online Casino Games in North Carolina and Apps
No matter when the first online casino opens in the Old North State, it will bring us a wide selection of different games. If you want to play slots, you will have a lot to choose from, with top titles like Jack Hammer 2, Mega Moolah, and Pirate’s Bounty.
Table games should be covered with a big range of poker, baccarat, roulette, and more. Some casinos have live dealer table games for you to enjoy too.
Once the first North Caroline online casino is opened, you will be able to play on a mobile basis too. This is because many of these sites have mobile apps that can be added to just about any kind of device. This lets you access casino games in North Carolina directly from your mobile screen, using the same password as on the desktop site and accessing the same funds.
Top Land-based Casino Locations
If you plan to place some wagers in a land casino, there are a couple of options, both of them operated by the Cherokee Nation, North Carolina.
- Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, Cherokee. This resort has views of the Great Smoky Mountains and over a hundred table games for you to choose from.
- Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River, Murphy. The second Harrah’s casino isn’t quite as luxurious, but it has a selection of restaurants and coffee shops.
Bonuses in North Carolina
The North Carolina online casinos should provide some attractive bonuses to help encourage new members to sign up with them. This is a standard approach in the industry and it can be extremely useful in helping you to get started when playing casino games in North Carolina.
These casino bonuses come in different forms. Free spins are popular, as they let you try a new game with no risk. On the other hand, a welcome bonus will boost your first deposit. A no deposit bonus will give you a good start before you use your own funds.
NC Online Casinos ↗
It is perhaps unsurprising that there are no online casinos legally available to state residents. There are, however, land-based casinos offering a variety of table games.
North Carolina Online Casino Sites Expected:
Poker In North Carolina ↗
Online poker is illegal with only Harrah’s Cherokee Casino offering in-person play and regular tournaments, with 20 tables on site.
Lottery Games in North Carolina↗
Known as the North Carolina Education Lottery, it has been running since 2005, with tickets sales available in-person from retailers and also online; the minimum age to participate is 18.
North Carolina Sweepstakes Casinos
There is an option to play online casino games available to North Carolinans, albeit one with significant differences than standard online casino play. Social casinos bring you the same games as regular casinos, but you won’t pay to play and you can’t directly win money.
Play with gold coins for fun and entertainment. To add a little spice, switch to sweepstakes mode and pursue the opportunity to earn virtual cash that can be exchanged for prizes like gift cards and yes, even real cash.
Here are some of the social casinos accessible in North Carolina.
Hello Millions Casino: You can try out more than 700 casino-style games inside the Hello Millions Casino. They include slots and a live dealer studio. With a comic book theme to their site, the Hello Millions Casino gives off a fun vibe. They offer both gold coins and sweeps coins play, with no limit on the maximum prize redemption amount when playing in their sweepstakes casino.
BetRivers.net: A sister site to the BetRivers sportsbook and casino, BetRivers.net offers a social casino option featuring a library of more than 2,000 games. They include slots, table games and a live dealer area. There’s also a free to play sportsbook option available to players at BetRivers.net. You can get as much as $1,000 in virtual credits every day to keep you playing.
Funrize Casino: Play more than 100 games inside the new Funrize Casino. You can opt for their standard for fun tournament mode and they’ll start you out with 75,000 coins as a signup bonus to get you playing. Or you could choose promotional mode and be given the chance to exchange winnings for cash prizes or gift cards.
Where in NC can I get help with problem gambling?
While gambling can be fun for many, for some it can cause disruption in their home lives and lead to a range of problems. If you have issues with gambling, or a friend or relative is struggling, help is available. For details, see North Carolina – National Council on Problem Gambling (ncpgambling.org).
NC Gambling FAQ
It isn’t clear at the time of writing whether the laws needed for North Caroline online casinos to be opened will be passed at some point in the future. Expected online casino launch in North Carolina in 2024.
Sports betting sites are live and ready for taling online bets from September 2023. In-person sports betting is legal but is limited to two casinos, with no online sports betting available yet; a bill to legalize sports apps is currently active.
North Carolina residents can use these casinos since real money stakes aren’t allowed. Players only join to play for fun, which is fine in this state.
21 is the minimum age for gambling in casinos in the Tar Heel State. A lower limit of 18 is applied in the likes of lotteries and bingo games. The North Carolina online casino regulation could state either of these ages in the future, or something different.
You will need to declare any big wins to the IRS when playing in an online casino in North Carolina. Expect to pay a flat 24% on wins over $5,000, although future legislation may change this.
The state has no race tracks but you can place bets at the state’s casinos on US events and races across the world. However, while many states allow advance-deposit wagering providers like TVG to operate, they are prohibited in North Carolina.
