NC Bill Co-Sponsor Tempers Hopes for Quick Wagering Approval
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The state Senate co-sponsor of North Carolina’s online sports wagering law dampened expectations for how soon sports betting could be approved during a local radio talk show appearance Tuesday.
While being interviewed on the Bryan Hanks radio show on SoundCloud, Republican State Sen Jim Perry, who co-sponsored the sports wagering bill that expands North Carolina gambling along with Democrat Paul Lowe Jr., lamented the slow-moving pace of General Assembly session that could be coming to a close soon.
Last week, the state Senate approved the sports wagering bill, 26-19.
Throughout state Senate committee sessions, Perry was the chief spokesperson on behalf of the bill, pointing out familiar arguments: That sports wagering was already going on in North Carolina with both offshore operators and illegal local bookies; that problem gamblers are better helped when gambling is out in the open and legal; and that online sports betting that is regulated and taxed could lessen the property tax burden especially in rural areas.
On the 960-AM radio show in Kinston, Perry repeated those points but when asked about a timeline for when sports gambling would actually happen in North Carolina, he pumped the brakes. A sports wagering bill has to pass through the state House of Representatives, where there was a companion sports betting bill. And be signed by the governor.
“If I had to guess – I’m not going to say ‘bet’ – if I had to guess, I would guess that the House, if they would take it up, it would be next year,” Perry said on the radio show.
He elaborated, saying, “This session is just dragging on and on and on. Our appropriations chairs just have not put the ship in the harbor, no matter how you want to say it. Everybody’s tired. The session is lasting forever. It’s a tough topic. I would think it would be pushed to next year. Probably mid-summer sometime, you’ll likely see it happen – is my guess.”
Tough Issue in NC
Expanded gambling has typically been a contentious issue in North Carolina, where some lawmakers have expressed reservations rooted in social values. Perry introduced the bipartisan bill in April with Lowe in April.
Perry has been a gentle salesman for the bill frequently acknowledging the sincerity and good intentions of those who oppose more gambling in the state while also pressing the contention that there’s much common sense in legalizing and taxing sports betting.
The bill that was passed in the state Senate provides for 10 to 12 online sports wagering licenses and would also permit wagering in and very near sports facilities such as stadiums and arenas, plus at auto race tracks and occasional golf tournaments. The tax rate so far is 8%.
Gambling in NC
As far as other types of gambling, North Carolina has the lottery and three Native American casinos. Two of those casinos in the western part of the state, operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, have retail sports betting that began earlier this year at a tribal casino in western North Carolina.
The Catawba Indian Nation recently opened a temporary casino in Kings Mountain near Charlotte with plans for a permanent facility; so far, there’s no sports wagering there. There’s also charitable bingo and raffles in the state.
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