Online Gambling in North Carolina - Casino & Sports Betting

North Carolina, also known as The Tar Heel State, has been a fixture of the country since colonial times. The state was a hub for supplying tar, pitch, and turpentine to the Navy for shipbuilding. The state’s plentiful pine trees were used as lumber in the shipyard, as well. People also say that the nickname ‘Tar Heel’ can also be used to refer to North Carolina citizens and their pride in being anchored and grounded in the land. The legislation regarding North Carolina online gambling is constantly changing, and each individual is responsible for knowing whether they are participating in a legal activity.

This article is important whether you play the lottery, want to offer your money to charity, or are wondering if you can relax on your couch and play online casino games on your electronic tablet. There aren’t many options for gambling in most of the southern states, but this article will tell you what you can legally do.

North Carolina has undergone recent expansion in its gambling laws, now permitting online sports betting, retail sports wagering, lottery, Indian casino gaming, pari‑mutuel horse wagering, and charitable bingo/raffles. Most traditional and online casino play remains illegal. These are codified in the North Carolina General Statutes, primarily within Chapters 18C and 14, Article 37, with enforcement by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission and Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE).

Online Casinos

Online real-money casino gaming—including slots, table games, or poker—is illegal in North Carolina. Chapter 14, Article 37, section 14‑292 prohibits all “game of chance” wagering unless explicitly authorized. No statutes permit online casino operations.

• Status: Illegal
• Date of Authorization: N/A
• Law: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14‑292
• Official Link: https://www.ncleg.gov/enactedlegislation/statutes/pdf/bysection/chapter_14/gs_14-292.pdf
  

Online Sports Betting

Online (interactive) sports betting became legal when Governor Roy Cooper signed House Bill 347 in June 2023. Under Chapter 18C, Article 9, licensed operators can offer mobile sports wagering, with the first licenses issued and operations starting March 11, 2024. Consumers must be physically located in-state.

• Status: Legal
• Date of Authorization: June 2023 (effective January 8, 2024; operations from March 11, 2024)
• Law: “Sports Wagering” – N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 18C, Article 9
• Official Link: https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H347v7.pdf
  

Physical Casinos (Tribal)

While North Carolina does not authorize commercial casinos, it does allow tribal casinos under federal compacts. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Catawba Nation operate Class II/III gaming, including retail sportsbooks, under federal law. No state statute grants commercial casino authority.

• Status: Legal (tribal only)
• Date of Authorization: Through tribal-state and federal compacts (1993–present)
• Law: Governed by federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and tribal compacts; not codified in NC statutes
• Official Link: N/A
  

Horse Racing & Advance-Deposit Wagering

Pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is legal, including advance-deposit wagering (ADW), under Chapter 18C, Article 9. Licensed operators can offer online ADW services. In-person off-track betting is also covered.

• Status: Legal
• Date of Authorization: June 2023 expansion; racing long-legal
• Law: N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 18C, Article 9 (sports + ADW authority)
• Official Link: https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H347v7.pdf
  

Lottery

The North Carolina Lottery, established in 2005, offers draw and instant games. It is managed under Chapter 18C, with the State Lottery Fund detailed in § 18C‑160 et seq.

• Status: Legal (retail only)
• Date of Authorization: 2005
• Law: N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 18C, Articles 1–4
• Official Link: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByChapter/Chapter_18C.pdf
  

Charitable Gaming (Bingo, Raffles, Pull‑Tabs)

Charitable games (bingo, raffles, limited raffles, pull-tabs) are legal under Chapter 14, Article 37, Part 2, subject to licensing and prize limits. This article also contains comprehensive rules and penalties for unlicensed gaming.

• Status: Legal
• Date of Authorization: Codified historically; modern structure from Chapter 14 updates
• Law: N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 14, Article 37, Part 2
• Official Link: https://www.ncleg.gov/Laws/GeneralStatutes/Chapter14/Article37
  

Overall Comment

North Carolina now offers legal online sports betting, tribal casinos, pari-mutuel and ADW wagering, state lottery, and charitable gaming, while maintaining bans on online casinos and commercial land-based casinos. Regulations are centralized in Chapters 18C and 14 Article 37 of the General Statutes.

Online Casino in North Carolina

Online gambling based out of North Carolina is illegal; however, some residents of The Tar Heel State place bets at online gambling sites that are housed in other states or offshore, but we do not recommend to do so

Sports Betting in North Carolina

Sports betting in North Carolina is illegal since PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) passed in 1992. The passing of this act banned sports betting, and in 2018 the federal courts struck it down, allowing states to decide for themselves whether or not they would allow sports betting. North Carolina has yet to make it legal.