North Carolina

The ultimate guide to North Carolina sports betting: Promos, launch details, more

Published

2 years ago

March 8, 2024

The ultimate guide to North Carolina sports betting: Promos, launch details, more

North Carolina will launch sports betting on Monday, March 11, at noon, nine months after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed the state’s sports betting bill into law.

Gov. Cooper signed HB 347 on June 14, 2023, at Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets, alongside leading legislators who pushed the bill through the state general assembly.

The North Carolina Lottery Commission promulgated rules, regulations, and awarded licenses in just five months to put the state in position to launch sports betting next week, three months prior to its statutory deadline of June 2024.

Read below on everything you need to know about sports betting coming to North Carolina this Monday, including who’s in, winners and losers, best sportsbook promos and more.

Check out how to get all seven of the current NC sports betting signup promos here.

North Carolina sports betting features eight operators

Nine operators submitted sports betting license applications to the North Carolina Lottery Commission. The commission awarded eight licenses in late February, which will allow the operators to begin accepting bets on Monday at noon.

The following eight operators and their partners will launch next week in the Tar Heel state:

bet365 NC: Charlotte Hornets
BetMGM NC: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Caesars Sportsbook: Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Cherokee
DraftKings NC: NASCAR
Fanatics Betting and Gaming: Carolina Hurricanes
FanDuel NC: PGA Tour
PENN Sports Interactive (ESPN BET NC): Quail Hollow Club (PGA Tour course)
Underdog Sports: McConnell Golf

The Catawba Two Kings Casino is still awaiting a license and has yet to announce its operating partner. It was the only group that applied for a sports betting license that was not initially approved.

North Carolina will offer a unique sports betting landscape for potential customers. Underdog Sports, which has primarily operated in the daily fantasy sports landscape, will make its first foray into sports betting in the state.

Underdog Sports has a DFS presence in 41 states and Washington, D.C., but North Carolina will be its first opportunity to present its sports betting product to the public.

Additionally, ESPN BET will have its first chance to acquire customers from day one in the state, allowing it to compete on a neutral starting point for the first time. ESPN BET has transitioned from Barstool Sportsbook in every state it currently operates in and has yet to launch in a market from the first day.

PENN Entertainment representatives have said it’s their goal to be “on the pedestal” in the U.S. sports betting landscape. While it has been among the top three or four operators in states it’s currently in, ESPN BET lags behind market leaders DraftKings and FanDuel. North Carolina will provide ESPN BET with the best look into just how well it will be able to compete with the top operators in a state where every sportsbook is beginning from the start.

NC sportsbooks offer pre-registration bonuses

Ahead of Monday’s launch, North Carolina sports betting operators are offering new players the chance to sign up early and claim extra bonuses. Here is what is available, with links to each:

Available betting markets

The North Caroline Lottery Commission approved the state’s sports betting catalogue in early November 2023. The approved catalogue allows bets on professional sports, college sports (including in-state schools), and the Olympic games. The XFL was also included in the initial catalogue.

However, there will be no eSports on the initial sports betting catalogue, but operators are able to petition the North Carolina Lottery to allow bets on certain eSports events.

The typical slate of sports bets will be allow in North Carolina, including bets on point spreads, totals, the money line, same game parlays, live in-game betting, and a number of others.

While other states are looking to place prohibitions on college sports betting, North Carolina will have a wide open market. The state does not feature a ban on bets for in-state colleges or universities. Additionally, North Carolina regulators will allow prop bets on individual college athletes, as other states such as Ohio and Maryland are taking steps to prohibit those types of wagers.

History of North Carolina sports betting: How we got here

Gov. Cooper signed the state’s online sports betting bill into law on June 14, 2023. By law, North Carolina regulators had one year to launch sports betting from the day Cooper signed the bill.

In-person sports betting was legal in the state, but the bill expands where it can offered. There is currently no launch date for the expanded launch of brick-and-mortar sports betting in the state. Eight facilities are eligible to host brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.

The PNC Arena in Raleigh, WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, Bank of America Stadium and Spectrum Center in Charlotte, Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro and Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte will be allowed to host sportsbooks at their locations.

The sports betting bill includes an 18% sports betting tax rate, legalizes pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, and disallows sports betting operators to deduct promotional bets from their gross revenues. It allows allows bets on professional sports, college sports (including in-state schools), eSports, and the Olympic games.

At an 18% tax rate, the state estimates $22.1 million in total sports wagering tax and fee revenue by FY 2023-2024, which increases to $100.6 million by FY 2027-28.

Tax Revenue Earmarked for Education

North Carolina sports betting tax revenues will be distributed as follows:

$2 million annually for gambling addiction and treatment services
$1 million annually to Division of Parks and Recreation for the purchase of youth sports equipment
$300,000 each annually to seven state universities for their athletic departments
$1 million annually to Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council for grants
If there is any remaining revenue, it will be distributed as follows:
20% to 13 historically black colleges and universities for their athletic departments
30% to a fund to attract major sporting events to the state (Super Bowl, March Madness, etc.)
50% to the state’s general fund

Disclosure: Online sports betting becomes legal in North Carolina on March 11, 2024. The content below was created by XLMedia plc. Capitol Broadcasting Company may earn a commission if you engage with or register through the links provided.

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North Carolina

Duarte girl kidnapped in 2020 at 5 years old found safe in North Carolina

Published

3 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Duarte girl kidnapped in 2020 at 5 years old found safe in North Carolina

A girl who was kidnapped from Duarte in 2020 when she was just 5 years old has been found safe in North Carolina.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said it found Karen Rojas, who is now 11, on Tuesday. She was enrolled in school under an alias, according to investigators.

Authorities said she was kidnapped on June 2, 2020.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services notified Washington County law enforcement that she may be in the state.

They coordinated with several agencies, located the girl and took her into protective custody.

“These are very rare occurrences to have such a positive outcome on such an old case as this, but it reminds us that through hard work, and dedication, and cooperation, stories with positive outcomes like these can happen,” the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.

Due to the age of the child, further information was not immediately available.

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North Carolina

These 4 Western NC towns are among WorldAtlas favorites for 2026

Published

16 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

These 4 Western NC towns are among WorldAtlas favorites for 2026

A new list from WorldAtlas named the publication’s top 10 favorite North Carolina towns of 2026, including several locations located in Western North Carolina.

Founded in 1994 by cartographer John Moen and his wife, Chris Woolwine-Moen, WorldAtlas publishes educational materials and articles on geography, sociology, demography, environment, economics, politics, and travel.

Previous Citizen Times articles have covered numerous mentions of Western North Carolina from WorldAtlas, including “idyllic” and “unpretentious” towns, scenic drives, a favorite downtown area, and more. In the new list, published March 9, WorldAtlas writers chose their all-time favorite North Carolina towns ― almost half of which were located in the western region of the state.

Here’s what WorldAtlas had to say about mountain North Carolina towns, plus the full list and more.

What to do in Banner Elk, N.C.

WorldAtlas noted the range of activities offered in Banner Elk throughout the year. The town sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains between the Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain ski resorts. Writers highlighted the following locations and activities in Banner Elk:

Wildcat Lake, which has a lifeguarded white-sand beach and is used for swimming, non-motorized boating and fishing for largemouth bass, trout, and bluegill
Grandfather Mountain Nature Museum, a museum located at Grandfather Mountain
The Mile High Swinging Bridge, the highest suspension footbridge in the United States, which visitors can cross on foot

What to do in Blowing Rock, N.C.

Also included on the WorldAtlas list, Blowing Rock takes its name from a rock formation where the wind appears to blow upward. The list highlighted the following locations and activities in Blowing Rock:

The town’s namesake, “Blowing Rock,” is a rock formation known for views of Johns River Gorge and the surrounding forest
Fishing, spelunking and rock climbing opportunities in the area
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, also known locally as “Cone Park,” which has hiking trails and is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Memorial Park on Main Street, where town events and concerts often take place

What to do in Brevard, N.C.

Brevard, also known as the “Land of Waterfalls,” is home to more than 200 waterfalls located across Transylvania County. WorldAtlas highlighted the following locations and activities in Brevard:

Museums, trails, rock climbing and the surrounding area’s many waterfalls
Guided Jeep and hiking tours to view waterfalls throughout Transylvania County
Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas, a museum displaying artifacts from U.S. military conflicts
Transylvania Heritage Museum, a museum focused on local history and genealogy

What to do in Hot Springs, N.C.

Hot Springs’ name comes from the natural springs that attract visitors from across the state and region. The springs are commonly visited by hikers seeking relief after traveling along the Appalachian Trail, which runs through the town. WorldAtlas highlighted the following activities and events:

Kayaking on the French Broad River
Trailfest, a celebration of hiking typically held in April
French Broad River Festival, a celebration of the French Broad River held each year on the first weekend of May
White-water rafting and ziplining opportunities in the area
Fishing, skiing, sport shooting, golf, disc golf, biking and horseback riding opportunities throughout the area
A range of accommodations including campgrounds, privately owned cabins, apartments, suites and cottages, with options from basic to luxury experiences

WorldAtlas’s best towns in North Carolina

The full list of WorldAtlas’s favorite North Carolina towns of 2026 included:

Banner Elk
Beaufort
Blowing Rock
Brevard
Davidson
Edenton
Hot Springs
Seagrove
Manteo
Wrightsville Beach

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

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North Carolina

‘It was dire’: NC State professor returns from Qatar after being trapped during Iran war

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

‘It was dire’: NC State professor returns from Qatar after being trapped during Iran war

An North Carolina State University professor is back home Monday night after he was trapped in the Middle East as war with Iran broke out.

Rich Spontak was stuck in Qatar while traveling from Bangkok to Spain and was forced to stay in the country for about a week. Several travelers were trapped for days in the Middle East after Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several defense leaders were
killed in joint strikes by the United States and Israel.

Spontak, like many travelers, found himself stranded in the Middle East after the initial attacks, which quickly entangled more surrounding countries, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where seven U.S. service members were killed in retaliatory attacks from Iran.

Spontak said there were times he thought he wouldn’t make it out.

“I would just keep looking out and looking for the missiles,” Spontak said. “Some people that I met along the way were hit by shrapnel from the missles. It was dire.”

Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria remained closed, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. Azerbaijan also shut the southern sector of its airspace on Thursday after accusing Iran of a drone attack that injured four civilians and damaged an airport building.

Lilia Austin, a Chapel Hill woman who was part of a group of 100 women who went to Israel for a trip the day before Khamenei was killed, also returned home on Sunday after she left Israel through Egypt.

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