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For many North Carolinians who are eager to legally bet on sports online from anywhere in their state, Monday, March 11, will be a big day. That also means that time is running out for people in the state who have yet to consider early registration offers from the state’s licensed sports betting apps.
While North Carolina residents who miss out on sportsbooks’ early registration offers will be able to avail themselves of new customer offers on March 11 and beyond, taking advantage of existing offers will enable them to hit the ground running when betting is live.
Additionally, some early registration offers could be superior to those promos available after early registration ends. Check out Legal Sports Report for an NC sportsbook pre-launch guide.
Once online sports betting goes live in the state, attention can turn to the possibility of North Carolina online casino and retail casino legislation.
North Carolina sportsbooks set to expand access statewide
For years, legal wagering on sporting events in North Carolina has been restricted to tribal lands. Until recently, that was also restricted to in-person wagering as well. Caesars Sportsbook did begin accepting online bets on lands controlled by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on March 1.
However, as of Monday, March 11, all eight sports betting apps with a license to operate in North Carolina can take bets from registered users throughout the state. Besides Caesars, those licensees are:
- Bet365
- BetMGM
- DraftKings
- ESPN Bet
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
- Underdog Sports
North Carolina allowed these licensees to accept online registrations and deposits on March 1. Since then, the books have offered introductory bonuses to new players such as deposit matches and site credit as guarantees against lost first bets.
When these apps start accepting bets, though, new deals could replace those offers. North Carolinians can register accounts with any of the licensees and make deposits either before or after the apps start taking wagers. There could be some benefits to at least considering the early registration offers prior to Monday, though.
Promos could diminish once betting begins
One clear advantage is getting your registration and first deposit on North Carolina legal online sportsbooks out of the way before Monday. When the betting starts, you won’t have to go through that process then.
Instead, you’ll be ready to evaluate markets and odds for how to use the bonus bets you earned with your registrations and deposits. The various apps will still have promotional offers for new customers after they start taking bets on Monday.
However, the terms of those deals are not yet public. Those offers may not be as strong as the deals that currently exist. Thus, you risk losing out on potential benefits if you wait until Monday to sign up.
Registration for any of the licensed apps is not only free but easy and fast, too. Additionally, deposit minimums to qualify for early registration offers are quite low. Some of the offers do not require any deposit whatsoever.
For example, DraftKings offers four $25 bonus bets simply for your registration, with no deposit necessary. While Bet365 does have a minimum deposit to get $100 in credit on its app, that minimum is only $10.
While now is probably the best time to check out legal sports betting in North Carolina, there are some essential things that North Carolinians should note with these offers.
What to know about North Carolina online sportsbook deals
As with any offer from a company asking you for money, it’s important to read all of the conditions and terms of the promotion. That way, you won’t be surprised by anything, and you know exactly what you have to do to take advantage of the offer.
To begin with, it’s important to understand that bonus bets are not real money. You cannot withdraw the value of bonus bets as cash from your sportsbook account. Those amounts are only valid for use within the apps according to the terms of the offers.
Common conditions in these circumstances include expirations on bonus bets. Standard expiration terms include a seven-day window to use the bonus bet(s). Additionally, many such offers come with restrictions on the markets you can use them on.
Another common feature is that should you win a wager you placed with a bonus bet, you will only receive the profit from that wager. For example, if you use a $25 bonus bet at -110 odds and win, your cash payout will be $22.73 instead of $47.73 since your original stake wasn’t real money.
However, checking out your options for responsible gambling in the apps is even more important. The apps contain tools that will allow you to set custom limits for both the money and time spent in the apps. Additionally, they contain recommendations for resources you can avail yourself of like North Carolina’s revamped gambling self-exclusion program.
In statewide terms, legal online sports betting kicks off on Monday. That means there is still time to prepare, although that time is waning.
