North Carolina sports teams want to profit from legalizing sports betting

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After the U.S. Supreme Court gave the decision to legalize gambling to the states, more than 30 states allowed gambling and sports betting. In North Carolina, however, the issue has stalled, mainly because lawmakers couldn’t agree on two issues: whether to include student sports and where betting shops can be located. 

In the new year of 2023, supporters of gambling legalization are more optimistic because of new faces in the Senate and House of Representatives. However, another problem has arisen.

Professional teams, including the Carolina Panthers of the NFL, and the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, are pushing to take an active role in regulating the betting market. North Carolina plans to create 12 licenses for bettors, and sports teams want to control at least eight of them.

Normally, professional sports leagues prohibit teams from profiting directly from sports betting. However, team representatives want to overturn this decision to maximize their profits.

As a reminder, only land-based casinos on Indian reservations have been legalized in North Carolina so far. Betting and online casinos are banned, but many residents of the state play online. According to topcadcasinos, foreign casinos offer free bonuses to new users, so it can be hard for players to resist the temptation, even though online casinos are illegal.

As of early 2023, no decision has yet been made on sports betting in North Carolina. The sports teams have a serious competitor, Caesars Entertainment, which owns Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River in the state. The casinos bring in serious revenue, so Caesars Entertainment can well afford to pay for a sports betting license.

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