North Carolina is by no means a gambler’s paradise. While there are a couple of tribal casinos that host casino-style gambling on Native American reservations, most progress on amending the 200-year-old anti-gambling laws of the past has happened slowly and often with a lot of resistance. The same goes for Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) – while it has yet to be officially legalized, DFS operators are still active in the state and contestants are free to sign up as they wish.

Todd Winkler, Editor at online-gambling.com

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Todd Winkler has been an editor at online-gambling.com for 6 years. His focus is on guides and articles about poker games, blackjack, and DFS. With relatives in New Zealand, he is also well aware of the gambling industry in the country.

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Online Daily Fantasy Sports in North Carolina – Overview

Even though legislation permitting DFS in the state has yet to be passed, it is believed that there are more than 1.6 million Daily Fantasy Sports contestants currently residing in North Carolina. It is understandable, then, why so many were getting excited by Bill HB 929 that was progressing through state government in the first half of 2019. The bill was seen by many to be a necessary step in providing more government oversight over the market as well as a chance to enforce consumer protection laws and registration fees for operators. HB 929 would also see the setting up of a new state Gaming Commission to oversee all the changes.

Although the bill passed the House Commerce Committee, it was shot down in the Judiciary Committee. This wasn’t because lawmakers resisted DFS, but rather was to do with disagreements with the wording in the Bill, namely that the law would unnecessarily put a stop to DFS for a year while it was being investigated. With most being open to a legalized, regulated DFS, changes could be on the way in the next year or two.

Until then, players are still free to engage in the many exciting DFS leagues being held in North Carolina. Below, we have listed the top sports leagues in North Carolina and how they can be played in DFS.

Online Daily Fantasy NFL – Prowling For A Win

As the home to the historical Carolina Panthers, North Carolina’s residents have a deep connection to the National Football League. In the NFL Fantasy League, players are asked to draft 9 NFL stars into their lineup in either public or private contests, their choices only limited by a salary cap. Cash prizes are won at the end of every week before players are to choose a brand new lineup. This happens weekly until the end of the season.

Online Daily Fantasy NBA – Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Hornet

Now that the Charlotte Hornets have reclaimed their former name, we hope things can turn around for the team, especially under new coach James Borrego. In the worst-case scenario, be your own coach and choose any current Hornets player to make up your NBA Fantasy draft! In NBA Fantasy, players are asked to draft a lineup of 8 players from at least two different NBA games. Contests are won by having the highest total points scored by your chosen players.

Online Daily Fantasy NHL – Blow Your Opponents Away With A Hurricane

The Carolina Hurricanes have the distinguished honor of bringing North Carolina their first professional sporting premiership cup, having won the Stanley Cup in 2006. Since then, Hurricanes players have proven themselves to be strong contenders in Ice Hockey, both in real life and Fantasy! In the NHL Fantasy League contestants to draft teams of 9 players from at least 3 different teams. Points are awarded to players for their goals, assists, and blocked shots, with goalkeepers also earning more points for successful gameplay.

Online Daily Fantasy MLB – Earn A Knighthood

While North Carolina has no major league baseball teams, their minor league Charlotte Knights team is a Triple-A affiliate with the respected Chicago White Sox franchise. In MLB Fantasy, players are to build a team of 10 players. The teams must include players that are on that week’s playing roster, have no more than 5 hitters and be playing in at least two different MLB games. Scoring is varied, including 10 points for a home run, 5 points for stealing bases, etc.

College Football – Reach Your Peak

College sports are popular in North Carolina, with a number of universities in the state offering great collegiate programs that have gone on to produce national athletic talent. In saying that, no program quite compares to the Appalachian State University Mountaineers, whose football team is noted for winning three straight national titles between 2005 and 2007. In 2018, they were named in the Associated Press’ Top 25 College Football Teams in the country, proving that they are only going from strength to strength.

With over 550 wins to their name, the Mountaineers have been making North Carolinians proud for the most part of fifty years. But for locals who can’t decide on which of the state’s university teams they prefer, fantasy sports offer a great way to build a team from the best of all of them.

Timeline of Daily Fantasy Sports Legislation

Gambling in North Carolina has faced many challenges over the last two hundred years. It seems as though every time lawmakers have progressed a step further into more progressive attitudes, concurrent governments take two steps back. Now that a 2019 DFS bill was recently shut down again in government, it looks as though it could be some time yet until DFS is finally allowed. Despite this, many believe it’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when.

Below, we have created a timeline of the defining moments in North Carolina’s gambling history. For more information on gambling in the state, visit our dedicated gambling page of North Carolina.

Legal Daily Fantasy Betting Age in North Carolina

DFS operators in North Carolina only allow contestants who are 18 years and older to compete. This is the same for the state lottery, but differs for casino gameplay at the state’s tribal casinos which stipulates players need to be 21 years old or over. If a player is caught gambling underage, it is considered a class 1 misdemeanor and is punishable with no longer than a year in prison.

• DFS Betting Age
  Players must be over 18 years old to legally gamble in North Carolina.
• Alcohol Age
  The legal drinking age in North Carolina is 21 years old.
• Weed Age
  Recreational cannabis smoking is illegal in North Carolina.

Is Daily Fantasy Betting Legal Outside of the State?

Daily Fantasy League betting is legal in most states in the USA, with only nine states that have classified as technically illegal. Some of these states include Hawaii, Nevada and Idaho. Georgia, a neighbor states to North Carolina, is similar to North Carolina in that although it is not technically legal, operators have been left alone to operate. A number of the nine states are still attempting to legalize DFS, while others like Hawaii remain hostile to gambling of all forms and are unlikely to change their minds in the near future.

The Best Fantasy Sports App in North Carolina

Thankfully, you aren’t limited to playing Fantasy Sports on your desktop computer. Most major DFS operators have created apps that allow players to enjoy their weekly DFS betting with ease. Of course, we put it to test and experienced the real play adventure, so we could recommend the DraftKings app for DFS betting and you should try it too!

Taxes on Daily Fantasy Winnings: Legal Overview

In North Carolina, your winnings from DFS are subject to federal taxes just like in the other states. The taxation rate is 25% from your winnings which actually represents the federal taxes. The state taxes consider gambling winnings to be classed as income and are taxed accordingly to residents’ tax classes. If you want to find out more, visit the website of the IRS or North Carolina’s Department of Revenue.

Upcoming Regulation Changes to Be Aware Of

Whether or not Daily Fantasy Sports legalization will be a reality this year or next year is anybody’s guess, but most people in the know are confident that it’s a near certainty. Due to its popularity with state natives and it’s federal classification as a game of skill as opposed to a game of chance, most interests are open to regulation to protect consumers as well as having more judicial oversight over the industry.

It could even be that sports betting is officially legalized in the state before DFS is, with lawmakers again considering a bill that would allow for onsite betting at the state’s two tribal casinos. Either way, North Carolinians can continue to enjoy DFS gameplay without fear of breaking the law, as the state government has shown little interest in banning operators from continuing activities in the state.

Daily Fantasy Guides for Nearby States

• Virginia
• Georgia
• South Carolina
• Tennessee