North Carolina Lottery Commission Working Towards Sports Betting Launch, Welcomes Experienced Sports Betting Regulator

• North Carolina Lottery Communications Director Van Denton said the lottery is working towards launching in an appropriate fashion as soon as possible
• North Carolina’s online sports betting launch window opens on January 8 and must launch no later than June 2024. 
• The Lottery Commission welcomed an experienced sports betting regulator into its fold to help with the launch

All eyes are on North Carolina online sports betting as the Tar Heel State inches ever closer to a potential January start date.

The 12-month window to launch North Carolina online sports betting was officially opened this past June, as the state has until June 2024 to launch its newest sports betting market. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed the state’s online sports betting bill into law on June 14, 2023.

The North Carolina State Lottery Commission is working diligently to launch online sports betting in the state “in an effective and appropriate fashion,” according to a spokesperson.

Commission Working Towards Launch

Van Denton, director of communications for the North Carolina Lottery, reminded Sports Betting Dime that the state has until June 2024 by law to launch online sports betting, but understands the urgency in launching sports gaming.

“Two months ago, the state of North Carolina gave the N.C. State Lottery Commission until June 2024 to begin regulation of sports betting so that it can ensure it is done fairly and responsibly in our state. Staff is working hard to make sure we have sports gaming in place in an effective and appropriate fashion as soon as possible. We understand both the urgency and the substantial efforts required in getting sports gaming up and running in accordance with the General Assembly’s mandate,” he said.

The sports betting bill, HB 347, legalizes 12 online sports betting licenses and allows brick-and-mortar sportsbooks at eight “places of public accommodation” throughout the state.

The eight facilities eligible to host brick-and-mortar sportsbooks are PNC Arena in Raleigh, WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, Bank of America Stadium and Spectrum Center in Charlotte, Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro and Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte.

Each of the licensed facilities will be allowed to partner with up to one online sports betting operator.

The commission must still draft sports betting rules and regulation, begin accepting sports betting license applications, and award those licenses before it can begin to formulate a launch date.

To help educate North Carolina residents on the timeline, licensing, and where sports betting revenue is distributed, the commission has published a new website to help provide information for interested individuals.

Experienced Sports Betting Regulator Joins Lottery Commission

As the commission gears up for the North Carolina online sports betting launch, an experienced sports betting and gaming regulator has joined its ranks.

Sterl Carpenter, who most recently served as a regulator with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission since 2015, last week began his new role as Deputy Executive Director Gaming Compliance and Sports Betting with the North Carolina Lottery Commission.

Carpenter helped usher brick-and-mortar and online sports betting into Massachusetts this past year. He helped the Massachusetts Gaming Commission craft and complete hundreds of sports betting regulations before retail betting launched in January and online sports betting launched in March.