North Carolina Sports Betting Bills Give Lawmakers Options, as Session Nears End

Two North Carolina sports betting bills gained favor in a House committee this week. The committee vote cleared the way for what’s expected to be a last-minute Hail Mary effort by the General Assembly to legalize gambling on sports.The North Carolina Senate passed its sports betting statute, Senate Bill 688, last August. The bill stalled in the House upon receipt, as conservative lawmakers in the lower chamber raised concerns that more gambling means more addiction. Liberal lawmakers also clouded the legislative process by expressing their desires to provide social equity through any expansion of gaming.