A bill filed in the General Assembly Monday seeks to legalize online sports betting in North Carolina, including professional and college sports.
House Bill 347, filed by Rep. Jason Saine of Lincoln County and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, would permit wagering on sports from cellphones and other electronic devices in North Carolina by Jan. 1, 2024.
“It is something I believe has the support of both chambers,” Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger said in January. “It is something the public overall supports. If you have a telephone, you already have access to it. You’re not supposed to, but it’s there.”
Opponents of last year’s sports gambling legislation argued on moral grounds and for societal ills they say it can cause. Saine said this new bill addresses those concerns.
“This bill is a bipartisan bill and we’ve learned a good bit from both sides about some of the tweaks that needed to happen,” Saine told WRAL-TV in Raleigh. “We’ve worked to accommodate those concerns, and we believe we have a bill that can do better than pass. It can get broad support from both caucuses.”
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