North Carolina fought long and hard against any kind of legalized gambling.
- How To Report Illegal Gambling In North Carolina
- Is It Illegal To Gamble In North Carolina
- North Carolina Gambling Legal
- North Carolina Gambling Rules
Gambling Age in North Carolina North Carolina takes its gambling law seriously. If one is caught allowing underage players to engage in casino gaming, the responsible party is subject to legal punishment and will be considered a Class H felon. Currently, the legal age for casino gambling in the territory is twenty-one years of age.
As late as 1982, its governor was quoted as being against the introduction of a state lottery. In fact, North Carolina was the very last state on the East Coast to bring forth lottery gambling to its citizens. They did so in 2005 – and by the slimmest of voting margins at that (the first ticket didn’t sell until March 2006). Even horse and dog racing remain outlawed in the state.
The only other available gambling in the state up to that point was the begrudging existence of one tribal casino. It is on Eastern Band of Cherokee lands, but is operated by Harrah’s. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 opened the door for many states to house casinos on reservation land, but the catch is that each tribe must negotiate an agreement (or “compact”) with their individual state governments, and the standard to which each state must agree is almost entirely up to the state government.
Traditionally conservative states like North Carolina could severely limit the allowed games and still be in compliance with the law. Indeed, until 2012, slots and electronic poker were the only games North Carolina’s government was willing to accept.
However, in 2012, the state government, in a bid to secure more funding for itself, expanded the compact with the Cherokee to allow live dealers, more types of games, and the construction of up to two more casinos in the western part of the state. This amendment has precipitated not only an expansion of the activities of the original casino, but also the construction of a new facility, which opened its doors in September 2015.
Things are going well. The tribe recently announced a $200 million expansion to the original casino. It will add hundreds of new hotel rooms and thousands of square feet of convention space.
The truth of the matter is that these two casinos feed off their proximity to Atlanta. Georgians have few options for gambling inside their state lines. Much like Atlantic City or the casinos bordering Texas, their lifeblood is dependent on legislative stubbornness nearby. And as seen with the decline of Atlantic City, legalization in neighboring states can be devastating.
However, more competition may be on the horizon.
The Catawba Nation is working to build a $600 million casino near Kings Mountain. It would draw patrons primarily from Charlotte. The tribe plans to partner with Hard Rock to bring the venue to fruition, but it still needs approval from the US government and to work out the compact with the state. So, nothing is firm yet, but the Cherokee might not be the only game in town forever.
- North Carolina has no laws that deal with online gambling. The state’s gambling laws do state that it is illegal for players to wager on chance-based games unless they are regulated by the state and offered at state-licensed premises.
- North Carolina started as they meant to go on – cracking down on gambling right from the very first time they put together their own constitution in the 1700’s. The original laws made gambling debt’s non recoverable and were targeting Pounds, Shillings and Pence, which were the currency of the time.
- North Carolina Governor Approves Tribal Sports About Us LetsGambleUSA.com is one of the world’s leading guides to US gambling laws and legal online gambling for real money in the United States.
Sweepstakes casinos in North Carolina
Social casino site options
North Carolina’s two casinos are both branded by Harrah’s. Harrah’s (as part of Caesars Entertainment) offers visitors to its website the opportunity to play several of its games for free money. Slotomania, BingoBlitz, and CaesarsSlots are all under the flag of Caesars, and each of those apps offers visitors multiple games. Additionally, North Carolina residents can take advantage of other major social casino sites, like Zynga or Double Down Casino.
Another site North Carolinians can use is the MyVegas app, MGM’s offering that allows patrons to play their way into comps, all for free – though racking up enough points to pay for anything significant takes diligence and time. Though there are not any MGM properties within state lines, North Carolina residents and visitors can still earn discounts or vouchers for hotel rooms, food, shows, and other entertainment choices through the site. These are redeemable at any MyVegas partners.
Sports betting options
To further competition, sports betting has been implemented into the fabric of the gaming market. Gov. Roy Cooper signed S 154 into law on Friday, July 16, making North Carolina the seventh state to pass a sports betting bill this year.
For now, the bill allows the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to operate retail sports betting only at two casinos in the Appalachian Mountains. Should the Catawba Nation get a casino up and running, it’s safe to assume sports betting will be offered as well.
It’s still too early to speculate when the first wagers can be placed, but implementation should begin over the next several months. As with most states looking to make sports betting a reality, the best time to launch is prior to the start of the football season.
- 2019 NFL season kicks off of September 5.
- 2019 College football season begins August 24.
Land-based slots options
Below are the options land-based slots players have in North Carolina:
| Property | Location | Number of Slot Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino | Cherokee | 3,280 |
| Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino and Hotel | Murphy | 1,000 |
Online slots options
There is no legalized or regulated online gambling in North Carolina.
As fitfully as the state has expanded its gambling profile, it would be unreasonable to expect anything will happen on this front anytime soon. North Carolina remains a mostly conservative and anti-gambling state, at least on the legislative level. That said, there are no laws specifically banning online gambling in North Carolina.
Operator profile
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a federally-recognized Native American tribe that resides in the western part of North Carolina.
The tribe was part of the larger Cherokee Nation, but the forced migration of many members along the Trail of Tears split the nation into the large group of Cherokee that now reside in Oklahoma and this group that remained on the reservation land.
The tribe owns the two casinos located in North Carolina. Both are located less than three hours from Atlanta. Their proximity to gambling-starved Georgians has provided an opportunity to profit, even in the face of the Great Recession. However, due to the casinos’ branding as Harrah’s properties, it would seem that the tribe is relying on an established company to manage and operate the day-to-day of its casinos.
Regardless, there is no denying that the casinos have been a boon to tribe members. Each member receives two annual payments that, on average, amount to $3,500 each. These payments are to an area of the state that has, at times, suffered 50 percent unemployment.
Most importantly, tribe children receive these same payouts from their birth. They receive the lump sum out of a trust upon their high school graduation or 21st birthday, whichever comes first. This lump sum is usually well over $100,000 – enough for young tribe members to finance their continuing education or give themselves a solid start.
State legal environment
| Permitted/Offered? | Notes & Restrictions | |
|---|---|---|
| Land-based Gambling | Yes | Tribal gaming only |
| Sports betting | Yes | Tribal only |
| Online Gambling | No | No laws for or against, but nothing regulated by the state |
| Lottery | Yes | Last East Coast state to legalize – first ticket sold in 2006 |
| Charitable or House-based Gambling | Yes | Bingo and raffles only |
| Minimum Gambling Age | 18 for lottery, 21 for casinos |
Part 2. Bingo and Raffles.
§ 14-309.5.Bingo.
(a) The purpose of the conduct of bingo is to insure a maximum availability of the net proceeds exclusively for application to the charitable, nonprofit causes and undertakings specified herein; that the only justification for this Part is to support such charitable, nonprofit causes; and such purpose should be carried out to prevent the operation of bingo by professionals for profit, prevent commercialized gambling, prevent the disguise of bingo and other game forms or promotional schemes, prevent participation by criminal and other undesirable elements, and prevent the diversion of funds for the purpose herein authorized.
(b) It is lawful for an exempt organization to conduct bingo games in accordance with the provisions of this Part. Any licensed exempt organization who conducts a bingo game in violation of any provision of this Part shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor….
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§ 14-309.6.Definitions.
For purposes of this Part, the term:
(1)”Exempt organization” means an organization that has been in continuous existence in the county of operation of the bingo game for at least one year and that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10), 501(c)(19), or 501(d) of the Internal Revenue Code and is exempt under similar provisions of the General Statutes as a bona fide nonprofit charitable, civic, religious, fraternal, patriotic or veterans’ organization or as a nonprofit volunteer fire department, or as a nonprofit volunteer rescue squad or a bona fide homeowners’ or property owners’ association. (If the organization has local branches or chapters, the term “exempt organization” means the local branch or chapter operating the bingo game);
(2)”Bingo game” means a specific game of chance played with individual cards having numbered squares ranging from one to 75, in which prizes are awarded on the basis of designated numbers on such cards conforming to a predetermined pattern of numbers (but shall not include “instant bingo” which is a game of chance played by the selection of one or more prepackaged cards, with winners determined by the appearance of a preselected designation on the card);….
§ 14-309.7.Licensing procedure.
(a) An exempt organization may not operate a bingo game at a location without a license. Application for a bingo license shall be made to the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety on a form prescribed by the Department….
§ 14-309.8.Limit on sessions.
Is It Illegal To Gamble In North Carolina
The number of sessions of bingo conducted or sponsored by an exempt organization shall be limited to two sessions per week and such sessions must not exceed a period of five hours each per session. No two sessions of bingo shall be held within a 48-hour period of time….
§ 14-309.9.Bingo prizes.
(a) The maximum prize in cash or merchandise that may be offered or paid for any one game of bingo is five hundred dollars ($500.00). The maximum aggregate amount of prizes, in cash and/or merchandise, that may be offered or paid at any one session of bingo is one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500). Provided, however, that if an exempt organization holds only one session of bingo during a calendar week, the maximum aggregate amount of prizes, in cash and/or merchandise, that may be offered or paid at any one session is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500)….
§ 14-309.12.Violation is gambling.
A bingo game conducted otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of this Part is “gambling” within the meaning of G.S. 19-1 et seq., and proceedings against such bingo game may be instituted as provided for in Chapter 19 of the General Statutes….
§ 14-309.15.Raffles.
(a) It is lawful for any nonprofit organization or association, recognized by the Department of Revenue as tax-exempt pursuant to G.S. 105-130.11(a), to conduct raffles in accordance with this section. Any person who conducts a raffle in violation of any provision of this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. Upon conviction that person shall not conduct a raffle for a period of one year. It is lawful to participate in a raffle conducted pursuant to this section. It shall not constitute a violation of State law to advertise a raffle conducted in accordance with this section. A raffle conducted pursuant to this section is not “gambling”.
(b) For purposes of this section “raffle” means a game in which the prize is won by random drawing of the name or number of one or more persons purchasing chances.
(c) Raffles shall be limited to two per nonprofit organization per year.
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(d) The maximum cash prize that may be offered or paid for any one raffle is ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and if merchandise is used as a prize, and it is not redeemable for cash, the maximum fair market value of that prize may be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). No real property may be offered as a prize in a raffle. The total cash prizes offered or paid by any nonprofit organization or association may not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in any calendar year. The total fair market value of all prizes offered by any nonprofit organization or association, either in cash or in merchandise that is not redeemable for cash, may not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in any calendar year.
North Carolina Gambling Rules
(e) Raffles shall not be conducted in conjunction with bingo.
(f) As used in this subsection, “net proceeds of a raffle” means the receipts less the cost of prizes awarded. No less than ninety percent (90%) of the net proceeds of a raffle shall be used by the nonprofit organization or association for charitable, religious, educational, civic, or other nonprofit purposes. None of the net proceeds of the raffle may be used to pay any person to conduct the raffle, or to rent a building where the tickets are received or sold or the drawing is conducted.
(g) Real property may be offered as a prize in a raffle. The maximum appraised value of real property that may be offered for any one raffle is five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). The total appraised value of all real estate prizes offered by any nonprofit organization or association may not exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in any calendar year.