Here you will find everything you need to know about legal gambling in NC. This includes sources, gambling laws and casino details.
Jerard V. • Last updated on 11 December 2024
Before we dive into the rather dry legal framework and such, we want to introduce you to the general concept. Let us start with the definition: Sweepstakes casinos allow you to play virtual sweepstakes games online using virtual currency instead of real money. And are they legal? They are, but not in every US state. But the good news is that they certainly are in North Carolina.
Here is what you can expect in some of the finest NC sweep coins casinos.
The best overall North Carolina sweepstakes casino gaming experience we found is offered by Stake.us. We chose this site as our favorite because of its generous promotions, such as welcome bonuses, daily bonuses, and ongoing promo codes. Together, these offers present you with free ways to extend your playing time and increase your chances of winning.
Now on to our second pick: Fortune Coins Casino. During our research we came across a number of exciting games including slots, table games, video poker and keno. Unique to Fortune Coins is their focus on quality over quantity. With a carefully assembled portfolio of 60 games, each one promises a unique gaming experience. Especially the exclusive sweepstakes fish gambling games stand out as something different from the usual casino offerings.
Here’s why WOW Vegas is our number three choice: New games are added to the casino’s library on a weekly basis, ensuring there is always something new to try. This constant growth in game selection keeps WOW Vegas alive and relevant. It also shows the operator’s motivation to stay ahead of the competition by keeping loyal players happy.
Throughout its history, North Carolina has been a state with very little involvement in gambling. In recent years, however, things have changed and the state is now considered more progressive than most of its neighbors.
But what changed? The state increased its revenue by legalizing charitable bingo and the state lottery, then approved tribal gaming compacts that led to the opening of three land-based casinos. But even though NC gambling law doesn’t directly address online gambling, it’s better not to risk it and enjoy sweepstakes casinos instead.
Read on for more information about legal, permitted and illegal gaming in NC.
NC’s first land-based casino opened in 1997 through a gaming compact. Prior to that, NC restricted most forms of gambling, but due to the demand of its residents, its gambling activities began to improve. Initially, they legalized bingo and charitable raffles in 1979. Then, in 2005, the state approved the state lottery.
Although land-based casinos are now legal on tribal lands, you can only gamble at three casinos, two of which are owned by the Cherokee tribe. After years of fighting for a building permit, the Catawaba tribe built the third casino, which was approved in 2020. Although gambling is limited in NC, those that do exist make up for it with a wide variety of live games such as blackjack, roulette, craps and slot machines.
In addition, North Carolina has proposed a Gaming Commission Bill with the goal of expanding gambling options, perhaps even online gambling.
For those who prefer to gamble online, you’ll be sad to hear that it’s not legal yet. However, for the perfect casino-like experience, you can always turn to sweepstakes casinos. While physical sweepstakes gambling is banned in the state, online sweepstakes casinos are thriving because they don’t charge money to play casino games and enter tournaments.
Because sweepstakes casinos operate like a free-to-play model, they are also legal in most US states. Most gambling laws, including North Carolina’s, define gambling as wagering something of value on a game of chance. However, because sweepstakes casinos do not use real money, they are not considered gambling.
Despite the fact that some people use offshore online gambling as a substitute for online casinos, you shouldn’t. Even if state laws don’t mention online gambling, it’s better to assume that offshore gambling is illegal.
While you might not go to jail or pay a fine, you could face other dangers, such as having your private information leaked or not being able to collect your winnings because no government oversees the operations of these sites. NC wouldn’t help you force these sites to pay you your money. On the other hand, sweepstakes casinos don’t carry the same risks.
Gambling laws in NC are stricter than in other US states. For example, in many other states, there are at least land-based casinos that you can visit. In NC, however, you can only find casinos on tribal lands. The number of casinos is also much smaller than in many other states. Even Mississippi and Ohio have more land-based casinos than NC.
The legal age to gamble at casinos in NC is 21, and to participate in a lottery or sweepstakes, the legal age is 18. Interestingly, there is no minimum age for bingo in NC. In some other states, such as Alabama and California, the legal age depends on the gambling activity. For several states, like Minnesota and Montana, it’s over 18 for all gambling activities.
That said, NC is better than many other states, such as Hawaii and Utah, where gambling is prohibited. Moreover, numerous states have partially legalized casino gambling in a manner similar to NC, such as California, North Dakota, and Michigan, which have limited casinos to tribal lands.
On the other hand, there are many more progressive states such as Delaware, which was the first state in the US to legalize online gambling.
Your best bet to keep yourself safe when gambling is to keep up to date with the new gambling laws and strictly follow them, as well as the house rules. Failing to do so, no one can guarantee your safety or the protection of your money.
Remember that laws change all the time, so be sure to check this information regularly. Everything you need to know can be found in these bylaws:
Under the Sports Wagering and Pari-Mutuel Wagering Act, the North Carolina State Lottery Commission is responsible for licensing and regulating sports betting and wagering on horse racing.
But it is the National Indian Gaming Commission, which oversees the eight tribal gaming regions in the United States, that also regulates the three land-based casinos available in North Carolina. The TGC was established in 1993 and implements the laws and protocols of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (1988) as part of tribal-state gaming compacts that allow for retail casinos.
NC has many sweepstakes casino games available. Some of the favorite games are slots, many different types of poker games, and blackjack. You will find these games in casinos, but if you want to play them online, use sweepstakes casinos.
The most common game in NC sweepstakes casinos is the old fashioned slot machines. You can choose from top sgames from the best sweepstakes games providers such as Pragmatic Play and NetEnt. Slot games you might like include Colossal Wizards, Spartacus Gladiator of Rome and Forbidden Dragons.
Playing poker online is illegal in OC, but you can still play poker for real money in land-based poker rooms at tribal casinos. In addition, you can legally enjoy your online poker games at sweepstakes casinos and even play video poker at some of the casinos. The games you might want to try are Texas Hold’em and 3-Card Stud.
Blackjack is a traditional game with simple rules. It’s fun for beginners as well as professional players. Besides, there are many variations of blackjack online in sweepstakes casinos as it is one of the most popular games. Some of the available variations are Any 2 Card Blackjack and Spanish 21.
Always put security concerns at the top of your checklist when considering casinos. Make sure you check the operating licenses and validity of the casinos you want to play at.
You want to choose those with adequate regulatory bodies and operating licenses to avoid unpleasant or potentially dangerous situations. If the casino lacks these basic guarantees, it is best to move on to the next one. Other factors to consider are
For more information, carefully research and compare your options to choose the best sweepstakes casino.
Compare North Carolina with its closest neighbor states
