The University of North Carolina's football team opens its season with a marquee matchup against South Carolina on Saturday, but North Carolinians won't yet have access to legal mobile sportsbooks to wager on the game. Mobile sports betting platforms might not go live in the Tar Heel State at any point during the 2023 college football season, but there's a possibility they could launch before the Super Bowl in February.
Gov. Roy Cooper's signature legalized mobile sports betting in June, and now the North Carolina Lottery Commission is in the process of adding staff and drafting regulations. The commission is tasked with getting mobile sports betting up and running between Jan. 8, 2024 and June 14, 2024.'
If the commission hits the early range of that target, North Carolinians could legally wager on NFL playoff games on their phones and laptops. Whenever North Carolina’s mobile betting market goes live, up to 12 mobile sports betting operators could enter the state.
Rulemaking progress unknown
The lottery commission's progress on drafting rules is largely unknown, but commission members have the added benefit of dozens of other states operating legal sports betting markets. The commission can lean on those regulations when crafting rules that make sense for North Carolina's mobile industry.'