Online Casinos in North Carolina

North Carolina Prohibits Playing or Operating a Game of Chance

North Carolina licenses no online casino. Its general gambling offence carries its own list of exceptions, which is the quickest way to see what the state does allow: “Except as provided in Chapter 18C of the General Statutes or in Part 2 or Part 4 of this Article, any person or organization that operates any game of chance or any person who plays at or bets on any game of chance at which any money, property or other thing of value is bet, whether the same be in stake or not, shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.” Chapter 18C is the lottery chapter and also contains the sports wagering article, so a licensed sportsbook app in the state is operating inside that exception and tells a reader nothing about casino games.

The slot machine definition in G.S. 14-306 was drafted with remote play in mind: “Any machine, apparatus or device is a slot machine or device within the provisions of G.S. 14-296 through 14-309, if it is one that is adapted, or may be readily converted into one that is adapted, for use in such a way that, as a result of the payment of any piece of money or coin or token or any credit card, debit card, prepaid card, or any other method that requires payment to activate play, whether directly into the slot machine or device or resulting in remote activation, such machine or device is caused to operate or may be operated in such manner that the user may receive or become entitled to receive any piece of money, credit, allowance or thing of value” No online casino is licensed in North Carolina, and this site does not point readers at operators that are not licensed where they are.

A Standalone Statute Prohibits Electronic Sweepstakes

North Carolina is one of the few states with a sweepstakes statute of its own, and it is quoted here rather than summarised because the detail is what matters. G.S. 14-306.4(b) provides: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this Part, it shall be unlawful for any person to operate, or place into operation, an electronic machine or device to do either of the following:” The two limbs are “Conduct a sweepstakes through the use of an entertaining display, including the entry process or the reveal of a prize.” and “Promote a sweepstakes that is conducted through the use of an entertaining display, including the entry process or the reveal of a prize.”

The definitions are written to be hard to design around. The device: “"Electronic machine or device" means a mechanically, electrically or electronically operated machine or device, that is owned, leased or otherwise possessed by a sweepstakes sponsor or promoter, or any of the sweepstakes sponsor's or promoter's partners, affiliates, subsidiaries or contractors, that is intended to be used by a sweepstakes entrant, that uses energy, and that is capable of displaying information on a screen or other mechanism.” The section then applies whether or not a list of things is true of that device, and the first item on the list is “It is server-based.” The promotion: “"Sweepstakes" means any game, advertising scheme or plan, or other promotion, which, with or without payment of any consideration, a person may enter to win or become eligible to receive any prize, the determination of which is based upon chance.” That last definition is the decisive one — it applies with or without payment of any consideration, so a free-entry route does not place a product outside the section. A prize is defined just as broadly: “"Prize" means any gift, award, gratuity, good, service, credit, or anything else of value, which may be transferred to a person, whether possession of the prize is actually transferred, or placed on an account or other record as evidence of the intent to transfer the prize.”

An entertaining display is defined by example — “"Entertaining display" means visual information, capable of being seen by a sweepstakes entrant, that takes the form of actual game play, or simulated game play, such as, by way of illustration and not exclusion:” — and the list that follows includes video poker, video bingo, video craps, video keno and video games based on the chance matching of pictures, words, numbers or symbols. The section then states its own purpose: “It is the intent of this section to prohibit any mechanism that seeks to avoid application of this section through the use of any subterfuge or pretense whatsoever.” Penalties escalate: “Any person who violates this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor for the first offense and is guilty of a Class H felony for a second offense and a Class G felony for a third or subsequent offense.”

Tribal Gaming Is Carved Out, and Is Not a State Licence

The sweepstakes section says so expressly: “Nothing in this section shall be construed to make illegal any activity which is lawfully conducted on Indian lands pursuant to, and in accordance with, an approved Tribal-State Gaming Compact applicable to that Tribe as provided in G.S. 147-12(14) and G.S. 71A-8.” Tribal gaming in North Carolina is conducted on Indian lands under federal law and a compact. A compact is not a state online casino licence, and nothing on this page describes tribal gaming.

Sweepstakes casinos and real-money casinos are separate products with separate rules, and neither is presented here as a licensed version of the other.