Governor Roy Cooper | beautiful pictures
Via Bill Finley
Tar Heel Downs anyone?
A sports betting bill that also legalizes racing in North Carolina passed the North Carolina state Senate on Wednesday and is now returning to the House for a final vote. A similar bill, but excluding racing, has been passed by the House of Commons, which will now vote on the amendment. The House of Representatives is expected to vote in favor of the amendment, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is also expected to participate.
But even if the bill is signed into law, it looks like no one will step forward to open a racetrack in the state. The bill does not include any provision that the track could partner with a casino or have historic horse racing machines.
“We have a long way to go,” said Hubert Vester Jr., owner based in North Carolina. . Maybe if they had something in the Charlotte area it could attract enough people, but I think, first, there needs to be an economic study that addresses the viability of having a racetrack in the state. It will be an uphill battle. Now that it’s about to become legal, maybe it’s a step in the right direction. But I still think there are some economic hurdles that need to be overcome.”
While live racing is unlikely in the state, the bill would allow North Carolina residents to open an Advance Deposit Betting (ADW) account, which is currently illegal.
“This is long overdue,” said Bill Thompson Jr, resident and livestock owner in North Carolina. There has been a conservative majority in the state representing a religious constituency for some time. We’ve had the state lotteries for quite some time, but that’s all we got. Pari-mutuel betting in the state has been banned. For me it was a big inconvenience, not being able to bet on your own horses. Legalizing it now that we can have an ADW account and bet on mobile, that would be very welcome.”
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This story was posted in Top News and tagged ADW, Bill Thompson, Hubert Vester, North Carolina, North Carolina racing, Roy Cooper, sports betting.
