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Written by: Filip Gromovic Reviewed by: Nashon Khamala
Can you gamble online in NC? The answer is yes, but not legally with real money. It is still a long shot before virtual casino wagering using real cash will become legal in the state. However, there are ways around that restriction, including offshore sites and social and sweepstakes platforms.
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The Tar Heel state still prohibits online casino services as of April 2025. In fact, it was only recently (March 2024) that the state approved sports betting over the internet. Lawmakers are still divided on whether the state is ready to make gambling virtual. Many believe that if it took lawmakers this long to legalize sports betting, compared to other states, it will likely take them longer to formally recognize virtual gambling.
For now, residents who want to have a taste of traditional Vegas-style games can only do so through social or sweepstakes sites. These platforms allow punters to play for free, although in the latter coin packages can be purchased which offer more benefits. It is important to emphasize that purchases will not increase your chances of winning. Since these platforms are primarily designed for recreation rather than for making money, they are not prohibited by NC law.
When it comes to wagering over the Internet, there are lots of options legally available to residents of North California. Some of the gambling forms that you can play virtually in this state include lottery, sports betting, daily fantasy sports and horse racing. This is a broad option compared to what is officially available to residents of neighboring states. For example, in some states where a lottery is approved, purchasing tickets over the Internet is still not allowed. Approving iGames to be played over the internet makes them more accessible for NC punters – and the edge they have over some of their neighbors.
NC online casinos where you can play with real money have not been legalized. The only legal place to play casino games is the two brick-and-mortar buildings. There are three of them in the state and two are owned by the Tribal Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, while the third is owned by the Tribal Catawba Indian Nation. Customers must be 21 and above to gain entry. However, anyone 18 years and above can play similar titles found in those buildings through social casinos or sweepstakes. Offshore sites will usually set 18 years and above for their members because they are not regulated in NC.
The timeline of wagering sports in North Carolina is really interesting and categorized by approvals and bans. As early as 1749, the first gambling laws in the territory were enacted. However, a nationwide crackdown in the 1830s saw the banning of lotteries. The General Assembly approved racing tracks in 1939, but by 1954, the North Carolina Supreme Court ordered their closure. In 1994, Gov. Jim Hunt reached a deal with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to open a gaming house in their bingo parlor, which they started running in 1982. The approval of sporting betting in March 2024 makes NC the 30th state in the country to do so.
Notwithstanding the challenging times that have faced gambling in the Tar Heel State, different forms of wagering on sports remain legally available to residents of this region. Since the 1980s, the options on the table have continued to increase. In fact, virtual gaming houses and internet poker are the only options yet to be approved, which is not so different from what you will find in most states in the country. Here is a long list of everything you can do in NC.
All the land-based houses in NC are run by native tribes. The largest is Harrah’s Cherokee, which sits on a floor space of around 150,000 square feet. It has over 3,200 slots and table games. Since their establishment, some of these houses have gone through expansions that gulped hundreds of millions of dollars, including the addition of retail sportsbooks to their service roster.
Before the approval of sports betting over the Internet in March 2024, the only legal way to do so was through land-based gaming houses. However, bringing the service to the Internet has made it more accessible and expanded the number of participants. Dozens of sites offering punters different ways of wagering have emerged since its approval. Some of the best online casino North Carolina add sports betting to their roster.
Today, there are lots of apps available in North Carolina that give residents a shot at daily fantasy sports (DFS). The most popular in this category is fantasy football, with over 24 million annual players. The goal here is to accumulate points and share in the prize pool, which is gotten from the money paid by participants to enter the contest.
This is one of the earlier gambling forms available to NC residents. From Lucky for Life to Powerball and Carolina Pick 3, the list of titles you can play in this category is broad. For $2, users can purchase a ticket, and there is a Multidraw option that allows clients to enter up to 30 consecutive draws.
The signing of the HB 347 bill into law also legalized pari mutuel wagering on horse racing. What that means is that punters can bet between each other, and the winners will share the bets of the losers after the house fee has been deducted.
Whether you are looking for real money online sites or sweepstakes, you will discover that the options are enormous, and picking one out of the lot can be as hard as finding a needle in a haystack, especially for new users. You will soon discover that no two websites have the same game roster or offers, and these two factors are extremely important when making a choice. After reviewing dozens of websites, we have selected the best based on different criteria. While we highly recommend these platforms, you are free to explore other options and draw your own conclusions.
NC is one of the states where Legendz operates. This is arguably one of the best sweepstakes sites in the United States. Upon signing up, new members get 500 Gold Coins (GC) and 3 Sweeps Coins (SC). Additionally, you will get 50% extra coins on your first purchase. They have all the popular gaming house titles in their catalog, including different versions of baccarat, blackjack, roulette, slot games and others. Another reason they stand out of the pack is their commitment to responsible gaming. Add that to responsive customer support, and you will get a platform that towers above the competition.
Any credible NC online casinos list will not be complete without VegasAces. While there is everything from blackjack to baccarat and video poker on the site, where it shines is in the slots. By partnering with over 50 providers, VegasAces brings the best and latest slots to North Carolina residents. There are different variants, including jackpots and progressive slots. Up to $6,500 is up for grabs in a welcome bonus. The site is offering a 250% bonus, up to $2,500 on your first deposit, and a 100% bonus on your next four deposits. There are also other enticing offers on the promotions page.
At Spree, you will find all sorts of betting titles including slots, Texas Hold’em Poker, live blackjack, hold and win and several other popular titles. You will be spoilt for choice from the moment you visit this website. Interestingly, it is a social platform, which means you get to enjoy all the different titles for free using their virtual currencies. Talking about virtual currencies, you will get 1 million Gold Coins (GC) and 2.5 sweep coins (SC) upon validating your registration, which is enough to set your betting wheel rolling. There are lots of ways to extend your bankroll on Spree.
One of the key features you should consider when shopping for online gambling sites North Carolina is the size of the bonuses they offer. Ignition always has more than a dozen ongoing promotions that offer a boost to your bankroll. Members can choose between live dealer, virtual sports and scratch card titles. The options are so broad that whatever your taste may be, you are almost guaranteed to find it here. New players enjoy up to a $3,000 welcome bonus. Most players will receive a random no-deposit bonus through their email. Deposit with crypto and enjoy even more bonuses.
The new live online casino recently opened its doors for business and punters have been queueing up to have a taste of their prize pool. This platform hosts blackjack and table titles, slot machines, keno and bingo, scratch cards, and other specialty titles. Also on their roster are live titles, which bring the traditional in-house experience closer to internet users. Love2play also has several bonuses for new and existing players, including up to $3,000 on the first three deposits. Upon claiming your first three deposit bonuses, you will be slammed with 50 free spins. On the next two deposits, you can earn up to 250 free spins.
Getting on board online gambling in North Carolina is not complicated, as long as you are over 21 years old and have stable internet access. The first thing you need to consider is whether you will register with real money North Carolina online sites or with a social platform. The type of platform will slightly affect your experience, which is why you must get it right. Go through the list of available casinos in North Carolina and make your pick. Afterward, follow the steps below to start playing.
After the question «Can you gamble online in NC» has been answered, the next logical question is usually what type of titles are available to residents. Whether you are playing over the Internet or through land-based gaming houses, the available options are enormous. You are more likely to find more varieties on the Internet compared to brick-and-mortar locations, which are usually constrained by space. Below are the most popular titles you can play in North Carolina.
This is arguably the most popular title you can play in a gambling house. Their popularity is not unrelated to how easy it is to understand the gameplay. They come in different shapes and colors, from the classic 3×3 reels to the more complex Megaways. Adding color to slots are the different themes, free spins, wild cards, scatters and bonus games. The key features you should pay attention to when picking a slot are the volatility, the RTP and the paylines. They all play a role in your chances of winning.
Among the different table options you will find, blackjack is one of the most cherished by gamblers. Punters who play blackjack virtually say it is faster and offers more wagering opportunities than doing so in traditional betting houses. Today, you will find sites offering live blackjack where the game is hosted by real people that you can communicate with.
They have different names, including Hold’em, Draw and Stud. Beyond the name, the core gameplay remains fairly the same. While strategy is important in poker, luck ultimately decides whether you will smile or frown after each round.
This is another very popular table title in NC online casinos, and one of the few in this category not played with cards. A ball is dropped on a spinning wheel, and punters bet on which numbered reel they think the ball will stop in when the wheel stops spinning.
Tar Heel is home to three tribal gaming houses; Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, Harrah’s Cherokee River Valley in Murphy and Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has always owned a bingo parlor, but in 1995, they decided to add an interim gaming house to it. In 1997, they expanded the facility to a permanent status for over $82 million and added video poker and slot machines to the mix.
The gaming house was named Harrah’s and later became part of Caesar’s Entertainment. The entire facility is called Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. By 2012, the Cherokee Indians signed a compact with the state and added table titles to their facility.
Following the success of Harrah’s Resort, the tribe opened another in 2015 called Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River. Unlike the resort, which sits on a 150,000-square-foot gaming floor, the Valley River is a smaller facility that covers 60,000 square feet and has a smaller number of titles.
Perhaps inspired by the success of the Cherokee, the Catawba Indian Nation opened a new land-based gaming house in 2021 called Catawba Two Kinds Casino. The facility offers slots and table titles, too. Cherokee continues to see the new kid on the block as a rival.
Although NC has yet to legalize virtual gaming houses, the state appears to be more receptive to gambling compared to some of its neighbors. For example, Georgia and South Carolina are more rigid when it comes to wagering. The two neighbors are believed to have some of the strictest gambling laws in the nation. Neither land-based nor mobile gambling houses are permitted there. Sports betting, which is gaining increased acceptance across the nation, is still prohibited in SC and GA. Only social games and state-regulated lotteries are allowed in the two states.
NC’s western neighbor, Tennessee, also has rigid laws and regulations on wagering. Traditional betting houses are not allowed here, not even charitable titles are permitted. Wagering over the Internet is also banned. Surprisingly, Tennessee permits sports betting in handpicked venues.
The signing of HB 347 by Governor Roy Cooper was a huge step forward for punters. The bill allows the licensing of up to 12 interactive sports in the state. While wagering on mobile for real money may still take years to gain the nod of lawmakers, residents of Tar Heel can comfort themselves with the pleasures provided by social casinos and feel lucky that it is not banned in the state.
Internet wagering options in NC are increasing. The approval of sports betting and pari mutuel in 2023 brings hope that Internet gaming houses may one day become approved, too. A lot can still change within a short time. Therefore, it will be interesting to keep an eye on the changing legal climate here.
The majority of the online gambling sites North Carolina are offshore sites. For those who may not understand, this simply means they are hosted in other countries or regions but offer their services to NC residents. They are usually regulated by the regulatory bodies in the countries where they are licensed.
Offshore websites usually offer players in regions with restrictive laws the opportunity to enjoy the full gaming house experience. They come with all forms of titles, from slots to tables and specialties. Before you take the bait, it is important to highlight some of the risks that may be associated with offshore websites.
Firstly, since they are not regulated in the NC, there is no authorized body in the state that oversees their activities. The risk with that is that you cannot trust that the games they offer are fair or accurate in their RTP and volatility. You just have to hope that the regulators in the country they were licensed do a good job in keeping the platforms in check, although we know regulators in many countries cut corners.
Another common issue that is frequently reported in real money online casinos is how difficult it is to get payment sometimes. Lucky punters have to endure days or weeks of delay, while those who are not so lucky never get paid at all. Sadly, if you lose your money, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.
Reaching customer support may also be difficult because of the time difference, or you may have to wait longer to get the help you need. Therefore, before you jump on any offshore site, ensure you do the following:
It is always important to track your wagering activities and behavior. This will help you to avoid the potential negative impact that it may have on your life. Sites committed to responsible gambling usually have tools that help their members set a limit to their deposits or playing times.
Another important tool often available is self-exclusion, where the punter can contact customer service and ask them to temporarily freeze their account as they go through healing to regain control of their wagering activities. In severe cases, the player can ask for permanent account closure. However, it is important to mention that this may not be enough. Professional help is always advised, or the player may just end up on another platform.
Additionally, many sites provide resources that will help their members struggling with problem gambling. In NC, two free programs offer support to gamblers, namely Gamblers Anonymous and the NC Problem Gambling Program. These programs are funded by the North Carolina Education Lottery and are accessible over the Internet or in person.
Unlike other states, it is harder to predict the future of NC regarding whether the state will legalize virtual gaming houses or not, especially when it will be legalized. Truth be told, it can sway in either direction. However, the approval of sports betting in 2023 brings a lot of optimism. Our best bet is that they will likely follow the lead of other states.
At the moment, there are just a handful of states where wagering over the internet is regulated, including West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, Delaware, and Connecticut. As that number grows, the lawmakers in the state will again be put in the spotlight and may eventually succumb to pressure. For the foreseeable future, online casino operations are still years from getting approval in NC.
While waiting for that to happen, residents of the state have a large number of games they can play online, including sports betting and wagering on horse racing through pari mutuel. Social websites also present a great opportunity for newbies to get familiar with the title before they jump into betting with real money.
Filip Gromovic is a senior slots reviewer here at FreeSlots99 with over five years of experience evaluating the latest drops in the world of iGaming.
Being a slot fan himself, Filip approaches slot ratings just the way we like it – professionally, but also from a player’s standpoint.
That enables him to give his unbiased take on the slot’s features, gameplay and design, while only recommending top-tier releases to our readers.
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Having served FreeSlots99 for more than 5 years as a senior content editor and reviewer, Nashon Khamala has extensive knowledge in game slots and iGaming.
His membership in the Editorial Freelancers Association helps him deliver content that reaches both editorial excellence standards and an engaging information level.
By using his expertise in slots games combined with player-focused analysis, Nashon delivers a professional evaluation of slot features and player experiences in his reviews.
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