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What's legal
The first legal sports bets in North Carolina were taken at the two Eastern Band of Cherokee casinos in March 2021. The legislature then passed Session Law 2023-42 on June 14, 2023, authorizing statewide mobile betting, and apps went live on March 11, 2024. You must be 21 or older and physically in North Carolina to bet.
The North Carolina State Lottery Commission licenses and regulates operators. Its website says seven interactive sports wagering operators are licensed. Wagers on high school and youth sports, political contests and award shows are banned, and horse racing pari-mutuel wagering is not yet authorized.
Crypto and offshore sites
Licensed North Carolina sportsbooks are US-regulated and fund accounts in dollars. Crypto is not a standard deposit method, so you would normally sell coins for dollars first and check the app's cashier for what it accepts.
Offshore crypto sportsbooks hold no North Carolina license. They are not licensed in any US state. The Commission states that betting outside licensed channels is unsafe and illegal, and an unlicensed site gives you no state regulator to complain to if a payout stalls.
What's changing
The state budget signed in July 2026 (Senate Bill 257) raises the tax on licensed sportsbooks from 18 percent to 23 percent of gross wagering revenue, and sends more of the proceeds to public university athletics. It also creates a 6 percent tax on prediction-market operators' net trading fee revenue. The Commission's own pages still describe the 18 percent rate.
For bettors, the budget allows people who itemize to deduct up to $2,000 of gambling losses on the state return. A separate 2026 law requires operators to withhold state income tax on certain winnings paid from January 1, 2027.
Tax on winnings
North Carolina taxes gambling winnings as income at a flat rate, 3.99 percent for 2026 and falling to 3.49 percent from 2027, on top of federal tax. Keep records of wins and losses, and ask a tax professional about your own return.
Common questions
Is crypto sports betting legal in North Carolina?
Betting with a licensed North Carolina sportsbook is legal, but crypto is not a standard deposit method there. Offshore crypto sportsbooks are unlicensed in the state.
When did mobile betting start in North Carolina?
Statewide mobile betting launched on March 11, 2024. In-person betting at the Cherokee casinos began in March 2021.
How many sportsbooks are licensed in North Carolina?
The State Lottery Commission says seven interactive sports wagering operators are currently licensed.