Why Has NC Sports Betting Bill Stalled After Passing the House

North Carolina's House passed a sports betting bill earlier this year, and it moved to the Senate for a potential vote. Unfortunately, progress stopped there, as the bill has been stuck in a Senate committee ever since. 

There is a crossover deadline of May 4 for bills in committees to get through. That means the Senate committees have until May 4 to get any of the Bills created by the Senate to make it through the committee and be voted on for them to have a legislative chance this year.

Potential Timing for Sports Betting Bill to be Voted on in the Senate

With the May 4 deadline coming fast, the Senate Rules and Operations committee will likely have time to review the sports betting bill already passed in the House afterward. It is not concerning that it has not happened yet because of the crossover deadline.

If positive news does not start to come out towards the end of May, then things become concerning. Granted, the legislative window for North Carolina closes Aug. 31. The bill has already passed the House, and Governor Roy Cooper has always said he would sign a sports betting bill if it ever reached his desk.

Jan. 8, 2024, North Carolina Online Sports Betting Launch

The bill's current version that passed the House allows for 10-12 operators and has a 14% tax rate. A reasonable tax rate in the 9th most populated state in the US makes for a perfect scenario for many sports betting operators.

Expect all the big dogs like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and more to already flock to the state. Caesars already has retail locations through Harrahs Cherokee Casinos in North Carolina, so they are another obvious choice for a future North Carolina online sportsbook.

The wording in the bill states that sports betting could start on Jan. 8, 2024, so if the bill passes, we could see sports betting available before the end of the upcoming NFL and college football season.