In exciting news for sports enthusiasts and fans, the North Carolina State Lottery Commission has set March 11 as the official start date for legal sports betting in the Tar Heel state. With the passage of bills and their subsequent signing into law by Governor Roy Cooper in June of 2023, North Carolina is now all set to embrace legalized sports betting across the state.

Regulators have been working diligently to ensure a safe and smooth implementation of sports betting. The lottery commission has decided that individuals above the age of 21 will be allowed to legally wager on sports, provided they have an account with an officially licensed operator in the state. Betting can be done in person at designated areas, over the phone, or via electronic devices. However, it is important to note that the authorization process for in-person betting is still underway as the lottery commission finalizes the details.

As of now, no sports betting licenses have been approved by the lottery commission. However, they have received nine license applications from interactive sports wagering operators and are in the process of reviewing them. Notable operators believed to have applied include Fanatics, in partnership with the Carolina Hurricanes, and Bet MGM, in partnership with the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Tyler Andrews, a sports gambling expert, commended the involvement of the state in the approval process, as it ensures that sportsbooks operating in North Carolina are legally regulated and offer customer protection, including timely payout of winnings. This move towards regulation is seen as a positive step to prevent unregulated operations.

The lottery commission will maintain a list of licensed interactive sports betting operators on their website, including their names and links to their respective websites. Once approved, these operators can start registering players from March 1 onwards. However, it is important to note that no wagers will be accepted until 12 p.m. on March 11.

Excitingly, the approval of legal sports betting comes just in time for the 2024 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament, which is scheduled to begin at noon on March 12. Additionally, bettors will have an opportunity to place wagers throughout the men's and women's NCAA tournaments, with the men's tournament starting on March 19 and the women's tournament starting on March 20.

Ripley Rand, Chair of the commission, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "The plan approved today means that North Carolinians will be able to place bets on their favorite teams in many of this year's college basketball conference tournaments, including men's tournaments in the ACC, Conference USA, the MEAC, and the AAC, as well as throughout the men's and women's NCAA tournaments. Bets on sporting events have been made for as long as those events have taken place, but this time they will be legal, they will be done securely and fairly, and they will be made under rules designed to encourage responsible gaming."

With the countdown to legal sports betting in North Carolina now underway, sports fans across the state eagerly await the opportunity to engage with their favorite teams and tournaments in a whole new way.