The legislation will tax sports wagering at a rate equal to 18% of gross betting revenue minus distributed winnings. “We got this over the hump and we’re so glad to do this.” Jason Saine, a Lincoln County Republican and the chief bill sponsor, said at the ceremony. The defeat “gave us the opportunity to work harder” and build support for the measure this year, Rep. The bill advanced this year despite opposition from a coalition of social conservatives and liberals who said the additional revenues paled in comparison to the damage more gambling addiction would place upon families and society.Ī similar political alliance derailed sports gambling legislation last year by just one vote in the House, but lobbyists for legal sports wagering providers in other states and pro sports franchises kept pressing the idea and won more support in the legislature. According to bill supporters, regulating and taxing sports betting is the best way to control gambling that otherwise was happening underground or through offshore accounts. Neighboring Tennessee and Virginia already allow mobile sports betting, attracting North Carolina residents to cross state lines to wager.
