North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (Photo by NCDOTcommunications, Flickr Creative Commons)
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed SB 154 into law on Friday, granting exclusivity to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to operate sportsbooks at its two Class III casinos. The law limits wagering to retail locations.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee, who maintain exclusive rights to offer gaming in North Carolina, can now add on-premise sports wagering on pro and collegiate sports, as well as horse racing, to its list of Class III games at two of its Tribal properties, both operated by Caesars Entertainment — Harrah’s Cherokee and sister property Valley River. (The third Tribal property is Cherokee Tribal Bingo.)
“The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has been working with the leadership within Harrah’s and Caesars regarding an opportunity to expand our gaming offerings on the Qualla Boundary,” said Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed in March. “Sports Betting is an emerging market across the country and is within the purview of the EBCI provided some changes to the existing legislation governing EBCI gaming are made.”
RELATED: North Carolina Legislature Greenlights Sports Betting at State’s Tribal Casinos
North Carolina is the seventh state this year to pass a sports betting bill. A separate bill geared at studying statewide implementation is also up for consideration, though its chances of passing the finish line remain unclear.
North Carolina Sen. Jim Davis’ (R-Franklin) estimates the introduction of sports betting will bring in an excess of $14 million annually for the Tribe, equating to roughly $1 million to $1.5 million for the state.
Yet without online and mobile sports betting, revenues are hindered. New Jersey, for instance, rakes in 80 percent of all sports betting revenue through computers and smartphones.
