Sports Wagering Law

The North Carolina State Lottery Commission is an independent, self-supporting agency of the State of North Carolina. The North Carolina State Lottery Act (Chapter 18C in the North Carolina General Statutes) establishes the Commission not only to oversee the operation of the state-run lottery, but also the regulate other sanctioned gaming to generate funds for the state.

The North Carolina State Lottery Act can be found online at the North Carolina General Assembly’s website. Articles 9 and 10 of the Act concern regulated gaming, including sports wagering and pari-mutuel wagering.

On June 8, 2023, the N.C. General Assembly passed Session Law 2023-42 (H347), “An Act to Authorize and Regulate Wagering on Professional, College, and Amateur Sports and on Horse Racing in North Carolina, and to Authorize Live Horse Racing in North Carolina,” adding Articles 9 and 10 to Chapter 18C. These two articles give the Commission the dutues of overseeing, regulating and licensing sports wagering and pari-mutuel wagering in the state.

The N.C. General Assembly made changes to H347 in Session Law 2023-134 (H259), “An Act to Make Base Budget Appropriations for Current Operations of State Agencies, Departments, and Institutions.” See “Sports Wagering Technical Considerations,” beginning on page 355 at Section 11.18.