The North Carolina House of Representatives passed a bill, HB 347, to legalize mobile sports betting in late March. After that vote, some stakeholders were optimistic the Senate might quickly usher the bill through and onto the governor's desk.
Over a month later, however, the measure has yet to be discussed in any Senate committee. Despite the lack of action, it's not time to hit the panic button on the bill's likelihood of becoming law.'
North Carolina's legislative session is scheduled to last through the end of August, giving legislators plenty of time to discuss the sports betting bill. The state's crossover deadline for bills to move into the opposite chamber came last week, which meant state senators were primarily focused on moving Senate bills forward in April. Now that the crossover deadline has passed, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the mobile sports betting bill receive Senate attention in coming weeks.
No date has been determined for when the Senate will discuss mobile sports wagering, a lobbyist connected to the wagering bill recently told Sports Handle. Despite the lack of a firm timeline, sports betting supporters are optimistic about its chances of passing.'