It’s been four years since the Supreme Court cleared the way for legal sports betting across the United States. Could North Carolina be one of the next states to legalize sports betting? Several states including NC, are in the process of trying to legalize it. Some have already taken that action and are waiting to implement sports betting.

On Thursday, Kansas became the 31st state to take that step when Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill that legalized sports betting in Kansas. Betting could begin as soon as September, just in time for football season. The state hopes to use the money raised will be used to hopefully lure professional teams to Kansas. For one, the Kansas City Chiefs, who currently play their home games across the border in Missouri. They also hope to take advantage of betters in Missouri as the state failed to advance sports betting legislation again this year.

The Supreme Court ruling in the case of Murphy vs. NCAA, handed down on May 14, 2018, overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which had prohibited legal sports betting throughout most of the United States starting in 1992.

Once the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned in 2018, New Jersey was the first to take action. Other states, including Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, soon followed. But almost 5 years later North Carolina hasn’t jumped the gun. That could be poised to change in the coming months, however.

Bookies.com created “hypothetical odds” on when bettors in each of the remaining states will be able to make legal online wagers. Here were their results:

• Kansas

  Yes: -9000

  No: +9000

  It’s not if it’s when at this point for Kansas. With the Governor signing the bill, now we just wait for the inevitable day residents can make their first bets.

• Ohio

  Yes: -550

  No: +300

  Sports betting was actually approved and signed into law at the end of 2021. Though there have been delays in setting up the betting infrastructure which means the betting isn’t happening just yet. It’s worth noting that the law dictates that betting must begin by Jan.1, 2023.

• Maryland

  Yes: +100

  No: -150

  You actually can place in-person wagers in Maryland at brick-and-mortar sites. These include at several casinos. Online sports betting in Maryland won’t arrive until after the start of the NFL season. 

• North Carolina

  Yes: +135

  No: -110

  Finally, the one you’ve been waiting for. North Carolina. You may already know that in-person sports betting is legal inside casinos on tribal lands in North Carolina. The first step to legalizing it statewide was in a bill passed by the state Senate in April. The North Carolina sports betting bill is expected to also pass in the house when its session resumes on May 18..

• Minnesota

  Yes: +225

  No: -300

  While both the Massachusetts House and Senate have passed bills legalizing sports betting, they have yet to come to terms on exactly how that will look. There are still a multitude of differences that need to be resolved before they will be placing any bets.

• Maine

  Yes: +900

  No: –1850

  The state’s House just approved a bill to legalize both in-person and mobile sports betting. However, major differences remain between the House bill and the current proposal that’s in the state Senate. With the legislature’s summer break fast approaching a compromised bill seems unlikely before then.

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