North Carolina fought long and hard against any kind of legalized gambling.
As late as 1982, its governor was quoted as being against the introduction of a state lottery. In fact, North Carolina was the very last state on the East Coast to bring forth lottery gambling to its citizens. They did so in 2005 – and by the slimmest of voting margins at that (the first ticket didn’t sell until March 2006). Even horse and dog racing remain outlawed in the state.
North Carolina casinos, cruise ships, horsetracks and dogtracks - the complete gambling landscape of North Carolina. Includes North Carolina casino details, gambling news and tweets in North Carolina, area maps, North Carolina entertainment, coupons offers. North Carolina has two operating Indian casinos and an Indian bingo hall. All three are owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina. A new Indian casino resort at King's Mountain is under construction by the Catawba Indian Nation. The casino is named Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort and will open in the Spring 2021. Located in North Carolina, the Murphy Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel is a huge venue providing thrilling gaming, food outlets and entertainment. The casino features not less than 60,000 square foot of gaming space including 1,000 slots machines and 70 traditional tables games.
The only other available gambling in the state up to that point was the begrudging existence of one tribal casino. It is on Eastern Band of Cherokee lands, but is operated by Harrah’s. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 opened the door for many states to house casinos on reservation land, but the catch is that each tribe must negotiate an agreement (or “compact”) with their individual state governments, and the standard to which each state must agree is almost entirely up to the state government.
Traditionally conservative states like North Carolina could severely limit the allowed games and still be in compliance with the law. Indeed, until 2012, slots and electronic poker were the only games North Carolina’s government was willing to accept.
However, in 2012, the state government, in a bid to secure more funding for itself, expanded the compact with the Cherokee to allow live dealers, more types of games, and the construction of up to two more casinos in the western part of the state. This amendment has precipitated not only an expansion of the activities of the original casino, but also the construction of a new facility, which opened its doors in September 2015.
Things are going well. The tribe recently announced a $200 million expansion to the original casino. It will add hundreds of new hotel rooms and thousands of square feet of convention space.
The truth of the matter is that these two casinos feed off their proximity to Atlanta. Georgians have few options for gambling inside their state lines. Much like Atlantic City or the casinos bordering Texas, their lifeblood is dependent on legislative stubbornness nearby. And as seen with the decline of Atlantic City, legalization in neighboring states can be devastating.
However, more competition may be on the horizon.
Gambling Casinos In North Carolina
The Catawba Nation is working to build a $600 million casino near Kings Mountain. It would draw patrons primarily from Charlotte. The tribe plans to partner with Hard Rock to bring the venue to fruition, but it still needs approval from the US government and to work out the compact with the state. So, nothing is firm yet, but the Cherokee might not be the only game in town forever.
Sweepstakes casinos in North Carolina
Social casino site options
North Carolina’s two casinos are both branded by Harrah’s. Harrah’s (as part of Caesars Entertainment) offers visitors to its website the opportunity to play several of its games for free money. Slotomania, BingoBlitz, and CaesarsSlots are all under the flag of Caesars, and each of those apps offers visitors multiple games. Additionally, North Carolina residents can take advantage of other major social casino sites, like Zynga or Double Down Casino.
Another site North Carolinians can use is the MyVegas app, MGM’s offering that allows patrons to play their way into comps, all for free – though racking up enough points to pay for anything significant takes diligence and time. Though there are not any MGM properties within state lines, North Carolina residents and visitors can still earn discounts or vouchers for hotel rooms, food, shows, and other entertainment choices through the site. These are redeemable at any MyVegas partners.
Sports betting options
To further competition, sports betting has been implemented into the fabric of the gaming market. Gov. Roy Cooper signed S 154 into law on Friday, July 16, making North Carolina the seventh state to pass a sports betting bill this year.
For now, the bill allows the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to operate retail sports betting only at two casinos in the Appalachian Mountains. Should the Catawba Nation get a casino up and running, it’s safe to assume sports betting will be offered as well.
It’s still too early to speculate when the first wagers can be placed, but implementation should begin over the next several months. As with most states looking to make sports betting a reality, the best time to launch is prior to the start of the football season.
- 2019 NFL season kicks off of September 5.
- 2019 College football season begins August 24.
Land-based slots options
Below are the options land-based slots players have in North Carolina:
| Property | Location | Number of Slot Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino | Cherokee | 3,280 |
| Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino and Hotel | Murphy | 1,000 |
Online slots options
There is no legalized or regulated online gambling in North Carolina.
As fitfully as the state has expanded its gambling profile, it would be unreasonable to expect anything will happen on this front anytime soon. North Carolina remains a mostly conservative and anti-gambling state, at least on the legislative level. That said, there are no laws specifically banning online gambling in North Carolina.
Operator profile
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a federally-recognized Native American tribe that resides in the western part of North Carolina.
The tribe was part of the larger Cherokee Nation, but the forced migration of many members along the Trail of Tears split the nation into the large group of Cherokee that now reside in Oklahoma and this group that remained on the reservation land.
List Of Casinos In North Carolina
The tribe owns the two casinos located in North Carolina. Both are located less than three hours from Atlanta. Their proximity to gambling-starved Georgians has provided an opportunity to profit, even in the face of the Great Recession. However, due to the casinos’ branding as Harrah’s properties, it would seem that the tribe is relying on an established company to manage and operate the day-to-day of its casinos.
Regardless, there is no denying that the casinos have been a boon to tribe members. Each member receives two annual payments that, on average, amount to $3,500 each. These payments are to an area of the state that has, at times, suffered 50 percent unemployment.
Most importantly, tribe children receive these same payouts from their birth. They receive the lump sum out of a trust upon their high school graduation or 21st birthday, whichever comes first. This lump sum is usually well over $100,000 – enough for young tribe members to finance their continuing education or give themselves a solid start.
State legal environment
| Permitted/Offered? | Notes & Restrictions | |
|---|---|---|
| Land-based Gambling | Yes | Tribal gaming only |
| Sports betting | Yes | Tribal only |
| Online Gambling | No | No laws for or against, but nothing regulated by the state |
| Lottery | Yes | Last East Coast state to legalize – first ticket sold in 2006 |
| Charitable or House-based Gambling | Yes | Bingo and raffles only |
| Minimum Gambling Age | 18 for lottery, 21 for casinos |
Online Casinos in North Carolina
Although North Carolina has a long tradition with some great landbased casinos, it has not legalized online casinos. There have been discussions of legalizing online casinos, but there are noconcrete plans in place at this time.
North Carolina does have a state lottery, which can indicate an openness to other forms of betting.
The nearest online casinos will be in West Virginia, which has already approved legislation. Tennessee has approved online sports betting.
But, you can still register with a legal online casino while you're in Georgia. That means you can get the casino's bonus offers or deposit, and then play whenever you're in stateswhere it's legal (even in a layover at the airport). (Do be aware of the casino bonus's expiry date, though.)
North Carolina Land-Based Casinos Map
Map
-->You can easily see all casino locations by using our North Carolina casinos map. To zoom in, just click the + (plus) sign in the lower right corner of the map, or to zoom out, just click the –(minus) sign in the same area.
To move the map of casinos in North Carolina, click and hold down either of your mouse buttons. Then use the hand icon to drag the map in whichever direction you desire.
Each of the red icons on the map is a casino location. Just click on any red icon to see the name of the casino at that location. If you want more information on that casino, simply click againon the casino’s name and it will direct you to another page with detailed information on that particular casino, including address, phone number, toll-free phone number, room rates, casinosize, dining information, games offered, availability of discounts for seniors, any special features, and a direct link to that casino’s website.
Land-Based Casinos in North Carolina
Types of Casinos in North Carolina
There are two Indian casinos in North Carolina. Both casinos are affiliated with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and both offer electronic games, such as slot machines, as well as tablegames.
The casinos are not required to release information on the payback percentages of their electronic games. However, according to the terms of their compact with the state, the video machines arerequired to return a minimum of 83% to a maximum of 98%.
In many states, the slot machine payback statistics for that particular state's casinos are released as a matter of public record. However, North Carolina is not one of those states. Justclick here to see a list of slot machine payback statistics for all U.S. casinos.
Options for Gambling in North Carolina
If you are looking for casinos in Charlotte, North Carolina or casinos near Raleigh you are in for a bit of a drive. Harrah's Cherokee is the closest casino to either of those cities and,unfortunately, it is 300 miles from Raleigh and 180 miles from Charlotte.
The two North Carolina casinos both offer traditional slot machines, as well as video poker. They also offer live blackjack, roulette, and craps. Optional games include mini-baccarat, poker,let it ride, Mississippi stud and three-card poker. Both casinos are open 24 hours.
If you are looking for the 'new' casino in North Carolina that you keep hearing about, that would be Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy, North Carolina.
Gambling Laws in North Carolina
and the minimum gambling age is 21.
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For more information on visiting the casinos in North Carolina, or for other general tourism information, call the state’s division of travel & tourism at (800) 847-4862 or goto www.visitnc.com.