In the United States, a total of 17 individual states have now legalized sports betting, after Governor Roy Cooper added his signature to a bill in North Carolina. SB 154 steadily made its way through the Senate and House to be approved by the Governor late last week. The state will now be able to offer bets on professional as well as collegiate events.
The state will provide sports betting via two tribal casinos operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The tribe works with Caesars Entertainment Corporation in operating the Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River and the Harrah’s Cherokee venues.
Sports books will be set up inside each venue to offer wagering opportunities for visitors. The new industry is expected to generate from $1 million to $1.5 million in new tax revenues for the state annually.
This number would be quite larger if lawmakers had been willing to legalize online wagering as well. However, the bill is strictly for land based gaming, so players will have to visit a physical venue to be able to place their wagers. In other state, mobile capabilities have proven to be a big driver of massive gambling revenues. Players prefer to wager online and without that component, the state of North Carolina is sure to lose out on potential earnings.
However, the state does differ from some as they have no restrictions in place as to what can be wagered on. Players can easily place a wager on professional and college events, including games and teams that take place in the state. This will include UNC-Duke games.
North Carolina now joins an ever-growing list of states in the US that have legalized sports betting. The list includes such states as New Jersey, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Tennessee, New Mexico, New York, Illinois, Indian, Arkansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and many more.
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