North Carolina’s sports wagering legislation is on a fast break.
House Bill 347 was approved by its third committee last week and moves on to the Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House committee on Tuesday.
Will it be a slam dunk?
#LegislativeUpdate: An online #sportsbetting bill is sailing through the #NorthCarolina House. @JasonSaine97th‘s bill passed three committees in two days and could get a full House vote next week.
More: https://t.co/ga9JMmQR4g
— iDEA Growth (@iDEA_Growth) March 23, 2023
N.C. Rep. Jason Saine Coaching Up HB 347 To Senate
Included in the action last week, the main sponsor, Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln), coached the mobile betting bill to back-to-back wins. It cruised through the Commerce Committee by a vote of 17-10 Tuesday and the Finance Committee, 7-3, Wednesday.
After similar legislation passed the State Senate, but failed by one vote to squeeze through House last year, industry insiders like the odds of eventual passage.
Saine has compiled 56 bipartisan sponsors and N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper reportedly favors the bill and designated sports wagering to be part of his 2023 state budget.
Next week could be big. If Tuesday’s vote passes, as expected, a full House vote could be staged Wednesday, which could send the legislation to the senate for its hearings..
North Carolina online sports betting advances without amendments opposed by industry 🇺🇸📈
👉 https://t.co/uEP9lxEQxo#legislation #sportsbetting #igaming
— iGaming NEXT (@iGamingNEXT) March 23, 2023
HB 347 Overcomes Judiciary 1 Committee Concerns
Despite HB 347’s obvious state-wide momentum, Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford) attempted to put up five hurdles during the Judiciary 1 Committee.
Of the five bill amendments Harrison introduced, Saine agreed to remove “parimutuel horse and greyhound racing” from the legislation, but rejected other potential measures, including:
- Creating a three-strike policy for violators.
- Making it illegal for online sportsbooks to advertise at state universities.
- Deleting sports betting on college athletics and the Olympics.
The issue of college wagering has been debated several times by lawmakers.
Will it slow down the bill’s momentum?
While it may not be a slam dunk, industry insiders predict the lawmakers will score off the fast break.
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