North Carolina Horse Racing Betting Sites

North Carolina legalized advance deposit wagering in 2023 and implemented the law in 2024, but none of the nation’s legal advance deposit wagering operators (ADWs) have applied for licenses. As a result, online horse racing betting remains legal on paper only in North Carolina.

Previously, state law prohibited online horse racing betting, and ADWs prohibited North Carolinians for signing up for pari-mutuel wagering accounts.

Now, ADWs may apply for licenses to offer online horse racing betting in North Carolina. Once approved, licensed North Carolina horse racing betting sites must comply with consumer protection and responsible gambling regulations designed to protect customers’ funds and private information.

The one sticking point is that ADWs are subject to some of the highest licensing fees in the nation, which may dissuade some operators from applying for licenses. Under the law, each operator must pay a $1,000,000 licensing fee and a 1% tax on the total sum of wagers it accepts from North Carolina residents annually.

North Carolina Off-Track Betting Locations

The 2019 law that authorized tribal casinos to operate retail sportsbooks also allowed them to offer off-track wagering. Two tribal casinos have taken advantage of the opportunity and now offer horse racing betting and simulcasting:

• Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel & Casino in Cherokee
• Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River in Murphy

Standalone off-track betting facilities (OTBs) are nonexistent in North Carolina due to the state’s longstanding pari-mutuel wagering prohibition. However, the law that authorized online horse racing betting may have opened the door to change in that regard.

In §18C-1001, the law discusses facilities “approved by the Commission to simulcast horse racing and conduct pari-mutuel wagering through an ADW license.”

The law also directs the North Carolina Lottery Commission to adopt rules governing simulcast wagering and the requirements for simulcast facilities. It’s unclear if the Commission will authorize standalone OTBs, but it seems to have the authority to do so.

North Carolina Horse Racetracks

North Carolina does not have any dedicated horse racetracks or any way to place wagers on horse races other than at online horse betting sites or in-person at tribal casinos.

With a long history prohibiting pari-mutuel horse racing wagering until recently, North Carolina lacks an established horse racing industry. The North Carolina Thoroughbred Association is the only organization in the state devoted to promoting and advancing the local horse racing industry.

Although horse races are held in North Carolina occasionally, trackside pari-mutuel wagering remains prohibited. Fans may watch the races in-person, and buy food, but betting is not allowed.

North Carolina Horse Racing Betting Laws

North Carolina legalized horse racing wagering via legislation approved in 2019 and 2023.

First, lawmakers approved legislation in 2019 to legalize simulcasting and pari-mutuel horse racing wagering at tribal casinos. Four years later, they passed additional legislation legalizing and regulating online horse racing betting.

Readers can visit the following links to see the laws in full or continue below for summaries of each.

• 2019 – Horse Racing Betting at NC Casinos: Session Law 2019-163
• 2023 – Online Horse Racing Betting in NC: Session Law 2023-42 Article 10

Simulcasting and Pari-Mutuel Wagering at Casinos

North Carolina law allows tribal casinos to offer simulcasting and horse racing betting. The applicable law is short at under one page in length because it leaves regulatory oversight under the purview of tribal gaming operators, but it contains three key provisions:

• Tribal casinos in North Carolina may offer simulcasting and pari-mutuel wagering
• Tribal casinos in North Carolina may also offer fixed-odds horse racing betting
• All wagers must be initiated and received on tribal lands

North Carolina Online Horse Racing Betting Laws

Lawmakers approved online horse racing betting in North Carolina via HB 347 in 2023. The bill received widespread media coverage for legalizing online sportsbooks in North Carolina, but it also contained a section authorizing and regulating online horse racing wagering.

State law tasks the North Carolina Lottery Commission with regulating online horse racing betting, issuing licenses, promoting responsible gambling, and promulgating new regulations as needed to fulfill the Commission’s duties.

Any operator that wishes to offer online horse racing betting in North Carolina must apply for a license and submit a $1,000,000 application fee to the Lottery Commission.

Applicants must provide their names, addresses, descriptions of the systems and processes they use to offer online horse racing betting, shareholder information, financial information, and any other information the Lottery Commission deems necessary to make a determination. In addition, the Lottery Commission conducts background checks on all operators and key personnel.

If approved, operators receive five-year licenses and must pay annual fees equal to 1% of the total sum of wagers they book from North Carolina customers each year.

North Carolina Horse Racing Betting FAQ