How South Carolinians can place sports bets once its legal in North Carolina
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Online sports betting in North Carolina becomes legal starting on Monday, just one day before the start of NCAA March Madness kicks off.
For South Carolinians sports betting is still illegal, but there are ways to place bets in North Carolina.
The North Carolina Lottery Commission said there are no restrictions for out-of-state residents who want to place a bet in the state. An individual must be within the state’s border, 21 years old and not prohibited from wagering.
However, South Carolina is a gray state when it comes to daily fantasy sports bets. A federal law passed in 2006 says daily fantasy sports bets are not the same as regular sports bets claiming its more about skill than luck. So, while it’s not illegal to place a daily fantasy sports bet, it is not regulated and taxed by a gaming commission.
This means there is no consumer protection.
Since 2019, multiple bills attempting to make sports betting legal in South Carolina have been proposed in the General Assembly but they have all been rejected.
For North Carolinians, there are currently eight licensed operators that can legally offer and accept sports wagers.
Research from the North Carolina General Assembly estimates that sports betting will generate more than $60 million in taxes the first year and reach $100 million in the fourth year.
There are several ways the state plans to use the tax revenue.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will receive $2 million annually for gambling addiction education and treatment programs. North Carolina Amateur Sports will receive $1 million annually to expand the state’s youth sports opportunities.
Thirteen universities in the state will receive the remaining 20% tax revenue to support their athletic programs. Each school could get a minimum of $300,000 each year.
The athletics director at UNC Pembroke said the timeliness of sports betting becoming legal is a huge blessing. After COVID, the university offered more online classes, but those students do not pay the athletic fee.
“We really, really appreciate the board of governors for doing the economic impact study and working with the Legislature to see how timely this was to be able to marry up a brand new revenue stream and address what was really a critical need for all the athletic departments,” Dick Christy said.
Without sports betting becoming legal, more than just the university’s athletic programs would have continued to struggle, Christy said.
‘If you look at our expense per athlete, and you look at what that student actually brings to Pembroke, North Carolina, the university is more advantaged to have athletics,” he said. “Cutting sports is actually counterintuitive for most of the small schools.”
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Savannah Denton joined News 13 in July 2023 as a reporter and producer. Savannah is from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Follow Savannah on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here.
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