Best North Carolina Online Sports Betting Sites and NC Sportsbook Apps 2024

Quick Facts on North Carolina Betting

• In-person betting has been legal since 2021. Three institutions have opened up which also offer casino gaming on tribal lands.
• An online sports betting bill has been passed through North Carolina’s local government which takes the state a step closer to legal online gambling. This occurred in March 2023.
• This bill was approved and voted through in June 2023, with legal, online sports betting expected to begin in North Carolina in January 2024. This was brought forward to March 2024, when online sportsbooks in NC became available.
• Offshore sportsbooks are completely legal to use within the state and accept customers from all over NC.

North Carolina Sportsbooks Compared

Have you read all those reviews and still can’t make up your mind? Well, we’ve provided a snapshot of all ten of our top operators in a handy table below. We compared the online sportsbooks based on live betting features and available sign-up bonuses, and we’ve even provided the bonus code for you.

Is Sports Betting Legal in North Carolina?

Yes, sports betting is legal in North Carolina. Sports betting was authorized in 2019 when SB 154 was passed into law. Online sports betting legislation passed the house in June 2023, though applications from sites, combined with the setting up of regulations, mean the online sports betting industry in North Carolina will likely only begin in January 2024.

This means that residents who wish to bet on sports have two options for now. One is to head to one of only three legal retail sportsbooks in the state. The other option is to continue to bet at offshore sports betting sites such as BetOnline. These platforms are based overseas and are not bound by US federal or state law.

Technically, residents are not authorized to bet at these offshore sites but as they fall into a legal grey area, no individual player has ever been penalized for doing so.

Who can Legally Bet on Sports in North Carolina?

North Carolina residents must be at least 21 years of age to bet on sports. This goes for any of the state’s retail sportsbooks but also when registering for an account for offshore sports betting in North Carolina.

Secondly, bettors to bet online will also need to pass an identity verification process known as “Know Your Customer”.  This requires some simple forms of ID such as a passport or driver’s license. Bettors will also need to prove their residence in NC which will require either a bank statement or a utility bill.

North Carolina Sports Betting Bills

Sports gambling in North Carolina is now legal in both a retail and online capacity. Retail sports betting was authorized in mid-2019, with online only being signed into law four years later in June, 2023. Here’s the detail on North Carolina’s legislative battle for sports betting:

2023

• HB 347: Submitted by  Ashton Clemmons and Rep. Jason Saine. This bill sought to officially legalize online sports betting, allowing up to 12 online sports betting licenses. It indicated they would cost $1 million and tax sports betting at 14%. This is to apply to the operators’ gross wagering revenue, minus winnings and other expenses. This bill was signed by the North Carolina Governor on 14 June, 2023.
• SB 388: Submitted by Sen. Jim Burgin. This bill seeks to alter the tax structure to a Wager Excise Tax. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate.

2021

• SB 38: Submitted by Sen. Perry. The bill sought to push through mobile sports betting, plus change definitions of certain permissible retail locations and other betting terms. The bill dies in committee.
• SB 688: Submitted by Sen. Perry and others. The bill, similar to SB 38, sought to legalize online sports betting. Due to a late amendment that proposed a ban on college wagering the bill dies in committee.
• HB 631: Submitted by Rep. Jason Saine and others. The bill is the house equivalent of SB 688. The bill dies in committee.

 2019

• HB 929: Submitted by Rep. Warren and others. The bill looked at establishing a North Carolina Gaming Commission. The bill dies in committee, after being referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House.
• SB 154: Submitted by Sen. Davis and others. This is the bill that legalized retail sports betting in North Carolina. The bill permitted retail sports betting on tribal lands. It was signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper on 26 July, 2019 after winning a vote in the House by 90-27.  
• SB 574: Submitted by Sens. Davis, Krawiec and Woodard. The bill sought to decide whether or not to establish a North Carolina Gaming Commission and study the status of sports betting. The study was conducted by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission and examined gaming activities prohibited and the feasibility of legalizing gaming activities, including sports betting and horse steeplechases. The bill was signed by the Governor on 4 September, 2019.

Tax on Gambling Winnings in North Carolina

Sports bet winnings in North Carolina are liable for tax. As standard, a retail sportsbook will withhold 24% of any winnings over $5,000. This is a federal tax, and the sportsbook should do this every time. On top of that, NC residents are subject to income tax – with the threshold determined by their earnings – and you are required to disclose income from gambling when you file your taxes.

Since offshore gambling isn’t strictly legal, it is a good idea to discuss your gambling winnings with a tax professional to determine how best to proceed.

How to Bet on Sports Online in North Carolina

It’s so easy to begin sports betting in North Carolina. Offshore sportsbooks are incredibly user-friendly, and the sign-up process will only take you a couple of minutes. We’ll prove how simple this all is in five easily digestible steps.

Step 1: Go to BetOnline

Jump online and head to betonline.ag and click “Join” to start the registration process.

Step 2: Fill out the Forms

The registration form is fairly straightforward and merely requires some personal information. This will include your name, email, zip code, and phone number. Just fill in your details in the spaces provided.

Step 3: Claim a Bonus

Go to the cashier section and begin to make a deposit. Before you really get started, make sure to enter the INSIDERS promo code in the small space provided. If you wish to claim a different offer, the available bonus codes can also be accessed from this form.

Step 4: Complete a Deposit

Select a deposit method, nominate your deposit amount, and then simply follow any prompts to complete the transaction. This might be inputting your credit card number or copying the operator’s crypto wallet address to send a payment via an exchange.

Step 5: Place your Bets

Simply head to the sportsbook section to start betting. You can search for any team, player, sport, or market directly using the search function. Otherwise, you can just navigate the intuitive menus to find your favorite sports and events. Just click on a market and an outcome to enter the wager into the bet slip.

North Carolina (NC) Betting Apps

Every one of the leading sportsbooks that have been showcased in this guide puts a huge amount of effort into having top-quality mobile platforms. While they don’t offer sports betting apps in North Carolina for users to download, they invest their time into optimizing their websites.

This does not mean that you’re missing out on anything at all, as the platforms are just as easy to navigate and you don’t have to waste any energy downloading an app.

BetOnline is the best all-around mobile sportsbook around today. It’s very user-friendly and you get access to a huge range of betting tools and markets. It leaves nothing to chance with what it brings to the table.

BetUS is another mobile sportsbook that makes sure to look after its mobile users. A stunning bonus awaits new signups, with the account creation process on a phone taking less than 60 seconds.

Finally, MyBookie has for many years been the destination for experienced mobile bettors. This is because it has a no-nonsense approach to its mobile platform, focusing purely on the betting and not getting side-tracked with anything else. The competitive odds and simple mobile betslip system are the cherries on top.

Payment Methods and Options

When sports betting in North Carolina at offshore operators, you will need to make real money deposits and request payouts. This means you’ll need to use secure and reliable payment methods to complete these transactions. North Carolina sports betting sites all support a range of payment options and identify them below.

Crypto Betting

Cryptocurrencies are the method that online North Carolina sports betting sites would prefer you use. This is not a bad thing because cryptocurrencies are reliable, incredibly secure, and incredibly fast. Deposits are instant and withdrawals can be received in as little as 24 hours – but never more than 72 hours.

Crypto sports betting sites supporting Bitcoin are the most popular, but you’ll notice these platforms also support other popular tokens including Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Cardano, and Dogecoin.

eWallet Betting

Once the most popular way to bank for online sports betting in North Carolina, eWallet’s are now a thing of the past at offshore sportsbooks. They have been replaced by vastly superior cryptocurrencies and you won’t find a single operator on our top list that still supports the likes of PayPal, Neteller, or Skrill.

Traditional Payment Methods

Some bettors won’t want to use cryptocurrencies. With eWallet’s no longer available, those bettors are left with a few traditional methods. Most notably card payments and bank transfers – although checks and Moneygram are still viable at some operators. Card payments are almost exclusively a deposit method now and you won’t find much acceptance as a withdrawal option.

Best Sportsbook Bonuses in North Carolina

Offshore NC sports betting sites feature lucrative bonuses and promotional offers that bettors can choose to take advantage of. These bonuses provide some form of free betting at the sportsbook, and it is possible to convert bonuses into real withdrawable cash. We identify and explain the most popular bonus types below.

Matched Deposit Bonuses

The matched deposit offer is the most common bonus type found at North Carolina sports betting sites. It is found in the welcome bonus and often as “reload” offer for existing customers. The concept is simple – the operator matches your real money deposit with bonus funds. For example, a 100% matched deposit of your $600 deposit would be an extra $600 in bonus funds.

No Deposit Bonuses

If you’re gambling in North Carolina, keep your eyes peeled for this rare bonus offer. As the name would suggest, it requires no real money deposit to claim the offer. The bonus can come in the form of a free bet or some bonus funds to be used in the sportsbook. Naturally, there is usually a winnings limitation or rollover applied to these bonuses.

Free Bets

A free bet is a wager in which the sportsbook covers the cost of the stake. What this means is you’ll lose no money if the bet loses but you’ll get some profit if it does. For example, a $10 free bet on a winning outcome at odds of +400 would payout $50 dollars. However, the $10 stake would be returned to the sportsbook, and you get the remaining $40 profit.

Popular Sports to Bet on in North Carolina

While North Carolina sports betting sites offer markets for a myriad of international and local leagues, tournaments, and events, there are few professional sports that are simply more popular than others in NC. We’ve identified these sports below, so you’ll know what to look out for online.

NFL

NFL is very popular in North Carolina and offshore sportsbooks offer an utterly huge range of markets to choose from. Besides Moneyline, spreads, and totals, a single match can have upwards of 75 prop bets.

NFL teams in North Carolina:

• Carolina Panthers – Since joining the league in 1976, the Panthers have won two conference titles and made it to the Super Bowl in 2015.

NBA

Basketball is a high-paced game in which the scoreline can get pretty big. This makes for very exciting spread and totals bets. Futures markets are also quite popular, especially since you can often bet on the NBA draft.

NBA teams in North Carolina:

• Charlotte Hornets – Owned by the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan, the Hornets have had a couple of name changes throughout history but no division or conference titles, unfortunately.

 MLB

Baseball is a game that lends itself perfectly to sports betting. It’s incredibly long, there are loads of statistics to consider, and there is time to think when live betting. With more than 2,000 games played each season, there are plenty of betting opportunities too.

NHL

The NHL is another live-betting favorite. The first half can be very telling of how a game will go and bettors can find value in betting on spreads – known as the Puck line – during key points in the game.

NHL teams in North Carolina:

• Carolina Hurricanes – The team began its life as the Hartford Whalers but secure a Stanley Cup victory as the Hurricanes in 2006.

NCAA Football

College football is incredibly popular, and the season runs alongside the start of the NFL season, making for tons of football to bet on. Markets are a little limited when compared to the NFL and you won’t be able to find any player props, but you will see spread and totals markets.

NCAAF teams in North Carolina:

• Duke Blue Devils – The Blue Devils have produced 53 All-Americans and three pro football Hall of Famers.

NCAA Basketball

College basketball is just as exciting as the NBA and you’ll be able to bet on spreads, totals, and the Moneyline too. You’ll other interesting markets too including betting on individual halves and alternative lines.

NCAAB teams in North Carolina:

• North Carolina Tar Heels – The Tar Heels hold the third-most NCAA championships with six titles.

 Golf

Golf is a very long game, often played over four days with 72-holes. This is very much a points-based game, and the most valuable bets will be spreads. Picking the Moneyline when there are so many potential winners can be tough, so bettors often place an “Against the field” wager which requires anyone to beat the course leader.

PGA course in North Carolina:

• Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte

Horse Racing

There are major race meetings held all over the world and offshore sportsbooks with a racebook will let you bet on almost all of them. You can bet in pools or with fixed odds too. Markets include both standard and exotics wagers.

Horse racing track in North Carolina:

• Pinehurst Harness Track

Esports

It may still seem novel to the majority of people, but Esports are not just growing as an industry, but as a betting opportunity as well. Having originated as a popular streaming pastime, Esports such as League of Legends, Dota 2 and CS:GO generate huge audiences. With teams now well-established and players ranked on their performances, betting on games is now possible.

DFS

Daily Fantasy Sports aren’t technically legal in North Carolina, but they haven’t been ruled on yet either. Major DFS apps including FanDuel and DraftKings still operate in NC and the government doesn’t seem to mind at all. This means players can freely engage in fantasy leagues for the NFL, NBA, and much more.

Mobile Betting in North Carolina

Betting on sports can now be done largely on a mobile device, allowing players a freedom to bet and play from anywhere in the world. This has been a development within the last few years and some sportsbooks in the United States have already developed sportsbook apps directly downloadable to your home screen.

However, in North Carolina, with players having to seek the best options among offshore sportsbooks, apps are not available for any of the best sites just yet. This will almost certainly change in the near future, but for now, all of our top 11 choices can be found on your browser with their mobile-optimized sites often functioning exactly how an app should do.

Live Betting in North Carolina

Over the last couple of years, live or in-play betting has become the most wagered-upon bet type at offshore sportsbooks. Live betting is the practice of betting on sports as they play out in real-time. Rather than betting on a team and watching the outcome, you can choose to see how the first 10 minutes of a game and then choose to bet on the outcome.

The odds for live markets shift dynamically to match the state of play. If a team starts performing well, their odds improve while the other team’s odds worsen. Bettors can use their knowledge of the sport and the changes in these odds to find significant value. To be a good live betting platform, an NC sports betting site needs to be fast, responsive, and easy to use. XBet is both intuitive, well-designed, and the fastest in North Carolina.

Bets That Are Illegal in North Carolina

Since offshore North Carolina sports betting sites are based offshore, they do not need to comply with state laws and will let NC residents bet on their favorite local teams for all events, including college sports.

What You Can’t Bet on in North Carolina

While you are allowed to bet on college football on North Carolina regulated sites there are two teams that are off the market. Sports betting laws prohibit bookmakers from providing betting markets covering in-state schools. That means you can’t bet on Duke University and the University of North Carolina.

How North Carolina Sports Betting Compares

Some might feel North Carolina’s online sports betting laws are a bit strict, but it is a lot worse down in South Carolina. In SC, there are no legal sports betting at all, and all attempts to legalize the pastime have failed.

However, to the north in Virginia, sports betting is fully legal. Residents can access numerous US-based online sportsbooks and retail sportsbooks are on the way. To the west in Tennessee, sports betting is also fully legal but there are no retail sportsbooks since there are no casinos in the state.

Land Casinos Offering Sports Betting in North Carolina

There isn’t a huge amount of gambling in North Carolina, but residents do get to choose from three massive casinos. The first retail sports bet was taken in 2021 and those sportsbooks have remained popular ever since.

These tribal casinos are far from central with both Harrah’s casinos located on the border with Georgia and Tennessee, while Catawba will be located on the Southern border tribal lands near Kings Mountain.

Catawba Two Kings Casino

Address: 538 Kings Mountain Blvd, Kings Mountain, NC 28086

Website: www.twokingscasino.com/

Opening hours: 24 hours

The latest sportsbook to open in North Carolina, Two Kings Casino boasts 30 self-service kiosks scattered around the 35,000-square-foot casino floor. The sportsbook is currently located at the temporary casino on Interstate 85 until the permanent 75,000-square-foot casino is completed.

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort

Address: 777 Casino Dr, Cherokee, NC 28719

Website: www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee

Opening hours: 10:00 – 00:00/01:00

Featuring a racebook and sports betting, the Caesars sportsbook at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort offers extensive coverage of the biggest US leagues and good coverage of international sports too. There is a massive 90-foot game wall TV and three private “Fan Caves” which boast an 85” screen and two 4K TVs.

Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino Resort

Address: 77 Casino Parkway, Murphy, NC 28906

Website: www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee-valley-river

Opening hours: 24 hours

Located within this massive 50,000-square-foot casino is another Caesars sportsbook. There’s the main viewing area with comfy chairs and a 32-foot big screen and betting kiosks located all over the casino floor.

The Best Sports Betting Site for North Carolina

BetOnline is the best offshore platform for sports betting in North Carolina. This platform boasts more than 35 sports to bet on, high bet limits, early lines, and numerous payment methods to choose from.

This North Carolina online sports betting site also came out on top when compared to important metrics such as security, range of sports, and customer service quality. You could be sports betting in NC with a lucrative bonus by signing up to BetOnline today while using the promo code INSIDERS.

North Carolina Gambling Addiction Resources

If gambling is starting to have negative effects on your relationships, your physical or mental health, or your finances, it is considered a problem. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) suggest an estimated 172,333 people suffer from problem gambling in North Carolina.

The screening questions from the NCPG website help you identify the signs of gambling issues. If someone needs help, there are NC services and national services they can turn to.

• The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services operates a Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services division, including a specific page on gambling.
• More Than A Game aim to provide treatment services across the whole state and promote awareness of the risks of gambling in the name of prevention.
• You may also be able to turn to one of the facilities in this list.
• You can go national and use services provided across the U.S., like the National Problem Gambling Helpline. You can call them on 1-800-522-4700 or text at 1-800-522-4700 for support. They also have a free and confidential chat service available in all 50 states.