North Carolina residents in favour of sports betting

A survey by East Carolina University shows that state residents favour sports wagering – but the margin is small.

US. A survey conducted by East Carolina University’s Center for Survey Research indicates that residents of North Carolina favour sports wagering by a modest margin.

Just over half (54 per cent) of poll respondents supported sports gambling statewide while 46 per cent disapproved.

By age, 70 per cent of 18 to 44 year olds approved of legalisation compared to only 43 per cent of older people. Democrats (54 per cent) and independents (60 cent) approved sports wagering more than Republicans (43 per cent).

When given the choice between taxing sports gambling operators or having their property taxes raised for purposes such as education and health care, 80 per cent of respondents said they preferred deriving the revenue from betting.

Earlier this week, the state Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to legalise sports betting in the state. The proposed legislation would grant 10 to 12 sports betting licences for land-based and online gambling operations.

Each licence would require an initial $500,000 payment and would be taxed an 8 per cent on transactions. There would be a $100,000 renewal fee.