North Carolina sports betting bill moves forward in House
HB347 has advanced out of the House Commerce Committee.
US.- A bill to legalise mobile sports betting in North Carolina is moving forward in the state’s House of Representatives. House Bill 347, filed by representative Jason Saine and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, advanced out of the Commerce Committee by a vote of 17-10.
HB347 would allow online wagering on sports by January 1, 2024. The bill now moves to the Finance Committee. It will also need to clear the Judiciary Committee before heading to the House floor.
The legislation allows for up to a dozen operators to acquire five-year renewable licences for $1m each. Betting would be permitted on professional, college, electronics and Olympic sports. The North Carolina State Lottery Commission would regulate sports betting, which is currently only allowed in North Carolina at tribal casinos.
“There is big money in sports, as we know,” representative Jason Saine said during the committee debate. “We feel like this is a responsible way to approach this issue.”
Bill co-sponsor representative Zack Hawkins said: “We know that some believe that gambling is a vice and we should consider legalising it, but much like we allow for taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, we can use this activity, this revenue from activity that is already happening in our state for good,” said
The proposed legislation would set a tax rate of 14 per cent. Some $2m a year would go to the Department of Health and Human Services for gambling education and treatment programmes. Meawnhile, $1m would go toward the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation to give counties equal grants of up to $10,000 for youth sports equipment and facility upgrades.
The bill would also give up to $300,000 annually to the athletic departments of Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina A&T University, North Carolina Central University, University of North Carolina at Asheville, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and Winston-Salem State University. Another $1m of tax revenue would be distributed to the North Carolina Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council to award various grants.
The remaining tax revenue would be split up among the athletic departments of the seven universities listed above (10 per cent), the North Carolina Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund (30 per cent), and the state’s general fund (60 per cent).
Saine also said conservatively it’s estimated the state would generate at least $50m per year in revenue. Efforts to legalise sports betting in North Carolina failed by a single vote in 2022.
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