Bettors in North Carolina can’t legally bet on this weekend’s Kentucky Derby or other horse races despite the legalization of sports betting in the state more than two years ago.
Horse racing was included in 2023’s House Bill 347, which legalized sports betting in the state and charged the North Carolina State Lottery Commission with rulemaking.
Other WRAL Top Stories
Under the law, operators must pay $1 million for a five-year license to take legal sports bets in the state. No operator has applied for a license in the state and the commission cited the high fee — 10 times the fee in New York, which at $20,000 annually is the highest in the nation — in a 2024 report.
“The North Carolina State Lottery Commission continues to work on a pari-mutuel horse race wagering program that will be beneficial for the state,” said Ryan Carter, a public information officer for the North Carolina State Lottery Commission in response to questions from WRAL. “At this time, there is no date for ADW [advance-deposit wagering] platforms to launch in North Carolina.”
One potential fix would be to allow an ADW operator to partner with a sports wagering operator, the commission wrote, but that would require a legislative change to the state law.
The Kentucky Derby, the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, will be held Saturday in Louisville. It is the 152nd running of the run for the roses. The race airs on WRAL. Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. and the Derby is at 6:57 p.m.
Bettors in North Carolina have wagered about $14 billion in paid wagers since the launch in March 2024. The state has collected more than $275 million in taxes from the eight legal operators.
READ MORE: Where does money collected from sports betting go?
