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A first round of North Carolina sports betting rules is being fast-tracked to help the state speed toward launch under a 2023 law.
On Tuesday, the North Carolina Lottery Commission’s Sports Betting Committee unanimously approved a notice of proposed sports wagering rules outlined by staff. The 48 draft rules – “heavily focused on general provisions and licensing provisions,” according to comments made at the meeting by NC Education Lottery Gaming Compliance and Sports Betting Deputy Executive Director Sterl Carpenter – are now available for public comment through Nov. 1 on the Commission website, with final approval pending.
The committee has directed its staff to begin an “expedited rulemaking procedure” for sports betting app regulations. The procedure, allowed under a new policy adopted by the Commission in September, is designed to speed the regulatory process along.
That procedure gives NC Education Lottery Executive Director Mark Michalko authority to approve proposed notice of rulemaking for sports wagering and pari-mutuel wagering “after consultation with the Chair of the Commission (Ripley Rand).” The North Carolina General Assembly legalized both types of wagering during its 2023 annual session.
Sports betting will be operated through agreements with pro sports teams, NASCAR tracks, and pro golf facilities under tweaks made to the law in the state’s new budget.
Under state law, North Carolina sports betting could launch between Jan. 8 and June 15, 2024.
First Round of North Carolina Rules Posted For Public Comment
Carpenter called the first round of proposed rules “a preliminary portion of the extensive rules that will be proposed by the commission”. The initial rules cover licensing, applications, and other rules required for sports betting operators in North Carolina, including what Carpenter called (Michalko’s) and staff’s proposed role in “receiving, reviewing, approving, and possibly denying license applications.”
In addition to written comments online, the first round of rules is scheduled for a public hearing. That will be held at 9 a.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 27, with web links accessible on the Commission’s sports betting page. Carpenter said the rules will be returned before the committee next month post-public comment with staff recommendations.
Sports betting application forms will be used to apply for licensing and will also be brought by staff before the committee for approval in the coming weeks.
The Second Round is Coming Soon
A second round of proposed North Carolina sports betting rules will surface soon.
Carpenter said future proposed rules will cover advertising, licensing appeals, and more.
“We expect to include additional rules (including) standards for tech requirements and oversight, interactive accounts, places of public accommodation (retail sportsbook locations), and auditing and control standards,” he said.
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