North Carolina: status at a glance
| Online casino | Not authorized |
|---|---|
| Sports betting | Online and retail |
| Online poker | Not authorized |
| Sweepstakes casinos | No ban found in our sources |
One licensed product online
North Carolina's online market is a sports wagering market. The state status table above lists online sports wagering as active, and online casino games and online poker as having no state authorization. The state's lottery regulator took on the sports betting role, so the same agency that runs the lottery licenses the operators who accept sports wagers over the internet.
A resident who finds a site offering slots, table games or poker for real money is therefore looking at something North Carolina has not authorized. Comparison tables for the other states are on the sports betting by state and online poker by state pages.
How the licensing unfolded
The Commission's own news items give a clear sequence. On November 29, 2023, it approved the license applications for sports betting, which let it begin accepting applications from interactive sports wagering operators and from associated suppliers and providers. On February 29, 2024, it announced that it had issued its first seven interactive sports wagering operator licenses, along with three full sports wagering supplier licenses, 18 provisional supplier licenses and three sports wagering service provider licenses. The same notice said legal sports wagering was scheduled to begin on Monday, March 11, 2024, and that the Commission expected to approve additional licenses in the near future.
The Commission's approved licensees page, read on November 11, 2026, lists seven operators under the heading "Licensed Interactive Sports Betting Operators" and carries no date. The page carries no date, so its last update is unclear.
The regulator's role
The Commission is based in Raleigh and publishes its sports wagering material under the ncgaming.gov address. It issues operator, supplier and service provider licenses, and its pages group licensees by category: operators, suppliers and service providers. Anyone who wants to confirm a particular company can check the approved licensees page directly. The pages we read did not state an age limit, a tax rate or a payout rule, so we leave those out.
Casino games and poker
The pages we read from the Commission concern sports wagering only. Industry trackers list no licensed online casino and no online poker in North Carolina. We did not find a regulator page that addresses the question directly, so the status rests on the trackers and on the absence of any licensing program in the Commission's published material.
Sweepstakes casinos and offshore sites
Industry trackers list North Carolina as a state with no specific sweepstakes casino ban in force. A state with no named law is not the same as a state where such games are authorized, and the wider federal and state picture is on are sweepstakes casinos legal, with the states that have acted listed on the banned states page. The North Carolina statutes were not reachable from our client, so we do not describe them.
Offshore casinos that accept North Carolina residents hold no North Carolina license. How they operate is explained in the offshore casinos guide.
Getting help
The footer of the Commission's pages lists a responsible gaming helpline, 877-718-5543. The national line, 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), also takes calls from North Carolina. The responsible gambling page covers tools and warning signs.
Frequently asked questions
Is online sports betting legal in North Carolina?
Yes. The North Carolina State Lottery Commission licenses interactive sports wagering operators, issued its first seven operator licenses on February 29, 2024, and scheduled the start of legal sports wagering for March 11, 2024.
Can I play online casino games in North Carolina?
Not at a licensed site. The Commission's published licensing covers sports wagering, and industry trackers list no licensed online casino in the state.
Who regulates online gambling in North Carolina?
The North Carolina State Lottery Commission, which lists its licensed operators, suppliers and service providers on its approved licensees page.
Where can I get help with problem gambling?
The Commission's pages list a responsible gaming helpline at 877-718-5543, and the national line, 1-800-MY-RESET, is also available.