North Carolina’s Senate approved HB 347, a digital sports betting bill, Thursday morning by a vote of 37-11. The heavily amended bill will now go back to the House for concurrence and then to Gov. Roy Cooper for his signature. The bill would allow for up to a dozen mobile sportsbooks, including four standalone platforms.
Despite the Senate’s amendments, which include an increase in the tax rate, changing the launch date, and banning operators from writing off promotional play, it is expected that the House will give its approval as early as next week.
According to WRAL, House Speaker Tim Moore told reporters, “We’re going to concur Tuesday and Wednesday,” after he’d been unclear about the concurrence plans Wednesday. “It wasn’t really a change. It was more me not reading the notes properly.”
Kentucky has been the only state to legalize sports wagering so far in 2023. Lawmakers in Vermont earlier this month passed a digital-only bill that would allow for up to six platforms. The bill has not landed on Gov. Phil Scott’s desk yet, but when it does, he’s expected to sign it.