Gambling in North Carolina

North Carolina has long resisted expansion of gambling, owing to its conservative Bible Belt culture.

[6] In 1784, to raise revenue for the government, the anti-gambling law was repealed, and taxes were imposed of 8s per deck of playing cards and 10s per "box and dice".

[9] Lotteries were authorized on occasion to attempt to raise money for various good causes, as was common in early American history.

The organization must receive a bingo license from the Department of Public Safety, and may run no more than two games per week,[15] with prizes no higher than $500.

[31] A similar act was passed for Currituck County in 1949,[32] and the Cavalier Kennel Club[33] in Moyock opened the same year.

Sports betting in North Carolina is offered by licensed online operators and at retail sportsbooks at the three tribal casinos.

As of March 2024, there are eight online sports betting operators, listed along with their partner organization(s):[49] Retail sportsbooks are permitted at tribal casinos and at eight professional sports venues around the state (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, PNC Arena, Quail Hollow Club, Sedgefield Country Club, Spectrum Center, and WakeMed Soccer Park).

Following the 2018 overturning of the federal ban on sports betting, the state passed a law in 2019 allowing tribal gaming compacts to be modified to authorize retail sportsbooks at casinos.

[57] The Senate made five attempts over the years to ban the game, but was blocked by House Speaker Jim Black.

[57] Pressure mounted on Black after he was tied to state and federal investigations into the video poker industry, and he agreed to a one-year phase-out of the game.

[56] After the ban, an industry of sweepstakes parlors arose, operating in a legal gray area by offering chances to win when customers purchase Internet or phone time.

[1] The General Assembly tried to close the parlors in 2010 by outlawing any video sweepstakes with an "entertaining display",[60][61] but the ban did not take effect until January 2013 due to a legal challenge by the industry.

[63] Beginning around 2017, a new type of video arcade in which players can win money by playing "Fish Hunter" games began gaining popularity around the state.