North Carolina Signs Deal With Gaming Company to Assist With Sports Betting Launch

North Carolina announced it will partner with Gaming Laboratories Inc. (GLI) to help launch their new sports betting industry next year. GLI will help them set up operational guidelines and regulations. That includes setting industry rules, the licensing process, and a process to regulate sports betting in the Tar Heel State effectively. The deal signals a significant step towards the launch of legal sports betting, which the state hopes will happen by January 8, 2024. 

The North Carolina State Lottery Commission (NCSLC) chose GLI because of its experience launching several other markets. GLI has overseen the launch of sports betting in Massachusetts, Kentucky, and Vermont, serving in the same role that the NCSLC has hired them for.

“This commission and the staff have been tasked with the enormous responsibility of licensing and regulating the newly enacted wagering activities while at the same time maintaining the quality work and highest standards of integrity with the lottery,” NCSLC Chair Ripley Rand said of the move. 

GLI’s Director of Gaming, Sterl Carpenter, will lead their efforts in North Carolina. He recently worked as a regulator in Massachusetts and has over 30 years of experience in the industry. 

North Carolina Launch Complicated by Budget Talks

While a large focus has been on launching sports betting quickly, complications are arising in the state legislature. The two sides are amid a standoff over a new budget centered around gambling provisions. Those provisions would immediately expand sports betting and legalize online casinos. However, many legislators continue to strongly oppose expanding any kind of gambling, leading to the two sides remaining deadlocked.

We don’t know yet how the budget talks will end and if they will cause delays to the sports betting launch in January. While January 8 is not a firm date, the new law states they must launch no later than June 14, 2024. If that happens, North Carolina could have to pass a new bill.