Reactions to sports betting starting today in North Carolina

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With the ACC Tournament and March Madness just around the corner, North Carolina is now the latest state to allow sports betting, either in person or through online operators.

Governor Roy Cooper made the first bet in the state by choosing the Carolina Hurricanes to win the Stanley Cup this year.

Cooper signed House Bill 347 into law in June of 2023, which allows betting on professional, collegiate and amateur sports and horse racing.

People could start placing bets at noon on Monday, March 11th on several different betting operators, including Fanduel, DraftKings and Underdog Sportsbook.

Former UNC basketball star and current NBA analyst Kenny Smith said he’s glad betting is now allowed in the Tar Heel State and that it isn’t anything new to people who have been places where betting was already allowed.

“I don’t think it changes the dynamic of the sport because anyone can go to Las Vegas or anyone can go to Atlantic City or anyone can go to anywhere else,” Smith said. “You know, they have slot machines in certain states that don’t have gaming tables and so, this is nothing new to America, this is not new to us.”

While many people will likely be placing bets, Southport resident Robert Siegel said he worries about how it will affect people who are new to gambling.

“I’m not a bettor,” Siegel said. “We lived in Connecticut, near Foxwoods Casino, which is one of the biggest casinos in the world. My wife Carolyn worked for the courts up there and she saw a lot of, a lot of what transpires or comes out of gambling and I just, I’ve never been a fan and I think that its geared towards people that can’t afford to gamble.”

You must be at least 21 years old to register on any sports betting application.