In 10 days, online sports betting will begin in North Carolina, just in time for college basketball's March Madness tournament. Starting March 11, people will be able to bet on professional and college sports using online apps. Pre-registration for these apps will begin on March 1st.
State officials predict nearly $7 billion in online gambling will be made in the first year alone. Langston Wirtz Jr., a sports writer for the Charlotte Observer, told WFAE's “All Things Condead” host Gwendolyn Glenn that people should not play in-person sports, which were legalized in North Carolina in 2019. He said he seemed excited about easier gambling options.
Langston Wirtz Jr.: Many people download apps to learn how to bet on sports, but in North Carolina it will be legal to do so on a website or on your computer. Previously, you had to go to Kings Mountain or Cherokee Casino to gamble. And if you won, you had to go back to collect your winnings. It was not very convenient for people. Now you can open your mobile phone and gamble. That's a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing because it's so easy. This money doesn't necessarily go out, because it's just digital money, gone.
gwendolyn glen: Langston, I don't know about you, but I've been watching commercials for sports booking companies like FanDuel. They are bombarding the air with commercials.
welts: Yeah, yeah, I've been watching Kenny Smith and Gronk (Rob Gronkowski) say every two seconds that sports betting is coming to North Carolina. I mean, even if you didn't know, it's hard not to know now that those ads are running over and over and over again. You know, there's a lot of public interest and these companies want to get the word out.
Glenn: How many sports betting companies are approved to operate in North Carolina, and how many sports betting companies do you know that are ready to launch on March 11th?
welts: There are 12 aircraft authorized, but as far as I know only 8 are ready for takeoff. I'm guessing the remaining four will be signed soon, especially if North Carolina State does well. You can bet on horses in North Carolina, but she is one of only 10 states that allows horse betting. So we're confident that we'll get 12 out of 12 people to sign it within a very short period of time.
glen: Speaking of sports, what are the specific sports that people will be allowed to bet on?
welts: You can bet on almost everything, including football, basketball, hockey, NASCAR, and more. You can also bet on E-sports. But the great thing about North Carolina is that you can bet on college sports. Some states don't allow college sports betting, but obviously North Carolina is a hoop state and in some ways the home of college basketball, so you can bet on how many points a player will score or how much a team will score. You can bet knowing who you will score. You can win. So I think these are probably going to be some of the biggest bets in North Carolina.
glen: I also read that people would probably bet on the ranking of college athletes going into the draft. Have you read about it?
welts: Gwen, I'm not a betting fan, but I can bet on virtually anything. They have something called a parlay, and they have multiple tiers of betting where you can bet on whether Stephen Curry will score 20 points and they (Golden State) are playing against the Lakers, for example. You can bet on how many points a team will score, but Stephen Curry needs 20 points and LeBron James needs 10 rebounds to win.
glen: Now, one thing I was wondering is, can people from other states also bet online on North Carolina sports, or do they have to be in North Carolina?
welts: To bet on North Carolina sports, you must be located in North Carolina and have your cell phone's location turned on to let the other party know where you are. It's like when you play the lottery online now. You need to know where you are in order to add money to your account, so you need to turn on location search when you bet.
glen: You must also be 21 years old. What are you hearing about how a bettor can verify her 21 years of age?
welts: To be honest, I've wondered the same thing too, but I've never seen or heard a really good answer. As with most things, people will find a way around the obstacles, and I think kids and teams will end up gambling.
glen: But even before March 11, were young people participating in sports betting or having others place bets for them?
welts: Yes, I always listen to it. Absolutely, especially online. There are ways around everything, and children are often better at it than adults. But yes, there will be children playing, and that is the reality of the times we live in.
glen: Now, let's talk about the money part. How much money do they predict the state will bring in once online gambling begins?
welts: I haven't seen any specific numbers. I've heard $100 million, but I've seen all kinds of numbers. We don't know what that is, but we do know that they project that this tax will give him $42 million in income over five years. So you know that's going to be hundreds of millions of dollars for the state down the road.
glen: Okay, so the state also brings in tax revenue and $1 million in license fees per operator. So how do they propose to spend this money?
welts: Some universities are going to get some of the funding, some statewide services are going to get some of the funding. Parks and Rec, and we'll have to see if that happens.
Glenn: What are you hearing about concerns about people relying on online sports betting? Because people who would never go to a casino, like Las Vegas or Atlantic City, to gamble? I read that people bet on sports even though they don't even go there.
welts: I mean, anecdotally, I know a lot of people who do online sports betting, and they seem to do it pretty well. But anyone who is used to gambling, maybe he is two or he is not three. As you know, North Carolina is preparing for that. North Carolina's problem gambling program is preparing for a surge in people, especially youth and children, in need of services. They will also receive $2 million a year from the state through state taxes (on gambling companies) to expand the program in more places where gambling can take place. Also, Gwen, these gambling shops have signs that say if you have any problems, please call us here. That number is 1-800-GAMBLER, so it's very easy to remember. Again, I think people need to remember. You know, if you win 10 big gambles, Uncle Sam comes to see you.
