N.C. gamblers lured with free sports bets
Plus: Election Day tomorrow; 40 Over 40 nominees announced; Nonprofit operates a thrift store; Plunge in early voting; 10-foot-long thumbtack art stolen in Hickory
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With legalized sports betting starting in a week, online platforms are battling to sign up N.C. gamblers; hundreds of dollars in ‘bonus bet’ credits
Ahead of the March 11 start of legalized sports betting in North Carolina, online promotions are offering hundreds of dollars in gambling credits. Clockwise, from upper left: BetMGM, bet365 and FanDuel.
By Tony Mecia
North Carolina’s newly authorized sports betting websites are offering hundreds of dollars in free bets to lure prospective gamblers, ahead of the debut of legal sports wagering next week.
The platforms, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, are each offering promotional deals that encourage players to sign up now, ahead of the March 11 start of legalized online gambling in the state. The N.C. State Lottery Commission, which oversees sports gambling, last week authorized eight online platforms to start operating in North Carolina and allowed them to begin signing up customers and accepting deposits as of March 1.
Businesses routinely offer deals to attract new customers. Here, the offers from sports betting platforms are coming in the form of betting credits and other enticements designed to get North Carolinians in the routine of placing wagers on sports.
“These operators are no different than Coke and Pepsi or Walmart and Publix —they’re all hoping to get you to become loyal to their shop,” said Steve Bittenbender, a writer with BetCarolina.com, which has been closely following sports betting in North Carolina.
The platforms seem to have ramped up their advertising in the last few days on radio, social media and other digital channels. They also appear to have affiliate deals that pay commissions to gambling-focused websites for driving potential customers to their platforms. A search Sunday for “sports gambling NC” on Google yielded ads for FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars and BetMGM — four of the platforms approved last week — followed by two affiliate marketing gambling websites.
Established media brands — including the New York Post, USA Today and The Charlotte Observer — also operate marketing webpages that generate commissions for sending potential gamblers to the sports betting platforms.
The most common type of incentive to lure gamblers to sign up and wager is what’s known as a “bonus bet” — a credit that can’t be immediately cashed out but that can be used to gamble. For instance, if you put a $100 “bonus bet” on the Hornets to win against the point spread, and the Hornets come through, you would collect the winnings (probably around $85-90) but not the original $100 credit.
Sports platforms promising “bonus bet” credits for N.C. gamblers once the betting starts include FanDuel ($300), DraftKings ($300), ESPNBet ($225), BetMGM ($200) and bet365 ($100). Caesars Sportsbook and Fanatics Sportsbook have other promotions. In some cases, the promotions require deposits or a small bet before the credits are awarded.
Plotting strategies: North Carolina gamblers and armchair mathematicians were strategizing over the weekend on how best to use the credits to make money once betting starts next week. Gamblers typically recommend using “bonus bet” credits on long shots. Even if you know nothing about sports, it appears possible to receive a guaranteed payout by using the promotions to bet on both sides of a game on different platforms.
Of course, in the aggregate and over the long term, people tend to lose money on gambling. Those big casinos in Las Vegas didn’t build themselves.
The General Assembly authorized sports betting last June, on the theory that surrounding states such as Virginia and Tennessee have adopted it and that the state was forgoing tax revenue. As of today, sports bets are legal in North Carolina only at tribal casinos in Kings Mountain, Cherokee and Murphy. In addition to online bets, gambling operators will be able to open in-person betting at professional sports facilities including Bank of America Stadium and the Spectrum Center, though the timing and details have not been announced.
“Based on the calls and emails and messages I get on social media, people are ready. They are very ready,” said N.C. Rep. Jason Saine of Lincoln County, one of sports betting’s biggest backers, in an interview with The Ledger last week.
Gamblers have to be 21 and verify their identities with the online platforms using a portion of their Social Security numbers. They sometimes have to send images of identification such as a driver’s license.
A few other pieces of sports betting info:
Where will the money go? Betting operators have to pay a $1M fee and pay an 18% tax on gross revenues (wagers received minus winnings paid). State analysts have forecast that sports betting will bring in about $75M to state coffers in its first full year. The largest share of the money will go to the state’s general fund, which the legislature could use for many different priorities. Smaller amounts are directed to go to 13 athletic departments of public universities, sports-related economic development and gambling addiction programs.
What about problem gambling? Health officials are expecting an increase in phone calls to gambling addiction hotlines and the need for more addiction treatment, N.C. Health News reported last month. Online gambling platforms are required to offer the ability for players to limit their deposits and bets, and the Lottery Commission has established a “voluntary self-exclusion program” in which players can ban themselves from online sports betting across all platforms for a year or more.
➡️ What questions do you have about sports betting in North Carolina? Send us an email and we’ll see if we can get them answered in a future newsletter.
Today’s supporting sponsor is Landon A. Dunn, attorney-at-law in Matthews:
🇺🇸 Who are all these candidates running for office? Find out and cast an informed vote with The Ledger’s Election Hub; polls open tomorrow 6:30am-7:30pm
Tomorrow is Election Day, and we think it’s important not only that you vote, but that you are armed with knowledge to cast an informed vote.
That’s why we created the Charlotte Ledger Election Hub. It has an overview and candidate descriptions of every race on the ballot in Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus and Gaston counties, with links to other media articles, candidate questionnaires, podcasts and videos.
Critically, it is free for everyone, with no paywalls or ads, and we worked to make it as free of bias as possible. We don’t tell you who to vote for. Instead, we equip you with the facts so you can make up your own mind.
Many thanks to our community of paying members and sponsors, who make it possible to do this important work of keeping residents of the region informed and engaged. And a special thanks to Sucharita Kodali, for heading up the creation of the Hub.
➡️ You can find The Charlotte Ledger Election Hub here.
Introducing the 2024 Charlotte Ledger 40 Over 40 Award nominees, Presented by U.S. Bank!
Today we invite you to check out the list of the Charlotte Ledger 40 Over 40 Award nominees. Wow, do our judges have a task ahead of them!
These 102 talented and passionate Charlotteans are making their mark across the community in so many ways. They were nominated by friends or peers in a process that ended last month. Our panel of independent judges is reviewing the nominations, and we’ll honor the winners at a special event April 30 at Griffith Hall at Lenny Boy Brewing. (You’ll be hearing more about that in the coming weeks.)
The 40 Over 40 Awards season is our favorite part of the Ledger year, because it’s when we come together to celebrate the incredible contributions of people who are using the wisdom they’ve earned through the years to make Charlotte a better place.
We are incredibly grateful to our roster of first-class sponsors: U.S. Bank, Ducie Stark of Dickens Mitchener Residential Real Estate and Apparo — Business and Tech Solutions for Nonprofits. If you or your company would like to sponsor the awards, drop us a line and let us know.
Congratulations to the nominees!
Charity Spotlight: Local nonprofit operates a volunteer-run thrift store, with profits going toward children and families in need
Assistance League of Charlotte’s thrift shop, located at 5426 Old Pineville Road, is run entirely by volunteers, which allows the nonprofit to put the profits toward its programming for children and families in need.
The thrift shop at the corner of Old Pineville Road and Tyvola Road in Lower South End, or LoSo, is more than just a place to find deals on second-hand items. It’s also a place where money flows back into the community.
For more than 30 years, Assistance League of Charlotte has operated its volunteer-run thrift store to assist Charlotte’s children and families in need. Assistance League is a national volunteer-led nonprofit organization.
“We try our best to give as much back to the community, which you can do when you’re volunteer-based,” said Cynthia O’Neill, who volunteers to serve as vice president of marketing communications for the Charlotte chapter.
The thrift store sells clothes, books, home decor, dishware and more, and they try to keep the pricing low, said Michele Hagan, the Charlotte chapter’s president, also a volunteer. There’s a list online of what items they accept and do not accept for donations.
With nearly 200 members who volunteer throughout the year to work at the thrift store, profits made at the store go directly to Assistance League of Charlotte’s programs. The nonprofit also has two paid positions, a part-time chapter administrator and a full-time director for one of the nonprofit’s programs called Mecklenburg County Teen Court.
Last year, Assistance League of Charlotte served more than 10,000 meals to children and families through its Operation Check Hunger program and helped more than 9,900 children with new clothes through one of the nonprofit’s biggest programs, Operation School Bell.
Operation School Bell works with school counselors at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, primarily Title I schools, to purchase new uniforms, shoes, coats and books for low-income students. Last year, Assistance League provided clothes for 9,598 students in K through fifth grade at 47 CMS schools.
The nonprofit also runs other programs, such as:
Heart of the Home provides new kitchen and pantry items for families moving into their new Habitat for Humanity homes. Last year, Assistance League served 20 families.
Operation Check Hunger provides meals to children over the weekend and during the summer. Last year, Assistance League provided 13,460 bags of food during the school year and 2,567 bags of food during the summer.
Operation Book Bag partners with the Red Cross to provide school supplies for low-income children.
Mecklenburg County Teen Court helps juvenile offenders complete their cases and eventually have their records wiped clean. They appear before a jury of their high school peers and are assigned a teenage aspiring attorney. Last year, Assistance League assisted 16 juvenile offenders and had 136 student volunteers.
The nonprofit also provides college scholarships to high school seniors in the community and grants for low-income students participating in various activities, like YMCA summer camp or music lessons.
The thrift store is open for shoppers on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and accepts donations on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. —LB
You might be interested in these Charlotte events: Breast cancer 5K, Oscars viewing party; mental health gala
Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s events board:
SATURDAY: Run Jen Run, 7-10:30 a.m., Symphony Park. Support Charlotte’s breast cancer community at Go Jen Go’s 12th Annual Run Jen Run 5K and Festival. Following the 5K and Fun Run, enjoy music, food vendors, an expo area, kids’ fun zone, and adult beverages (for those 21+). Sign up to run or walk today! Price varies.
SUNDAY: Oscars® Viewing Party & Fundraiser, 4-11 p.m., The Independent Picture House. Join The Independent Picture House for a celebration of film, art, and connection at the annual Oscars® Viewing Party & Fundraiser, presented by Windsor Jewelers. This year's event will feature live music by Queen City Jazz Group, the comedy of Shameless Society Improv, raffles, trivia, the Oscar® nominated short films, and so much more! The VIP portion of the event will take place from 4-5:30 p.m. The Oscars® Party & Viewing will take place from 5:30-11 p.m. $80 - $130.
MAY 3: ‘Chasing Away the Blues’ Gala, 6:30-10:30 p.m., Southern Pecan Gulf Coast Kitchen, 6705-C Phillips Place Court. A night of fun to raise awareness and funding to support NAMI: Charlotte’s free mental health programming which includes classes, support groups and community outreach. In addition, a live and silent auction will help advance our commitment to improving lives. $250.
◼️ Check out the full Ledger events board.
➡️ List your event on the Ledger events board.
In brief:
Early voting falls: The number of people who voted early in Mecklenburg in this year’s primary election fell 25% compared with 2020, as the Democratic primary for president is not competitive, unlike four years ago. The number of Republican voters increased. (WFAE)
Deadly shooting: A York County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a person on Sunday morning near U.S. 321 in the town of York, S.C. The sheriff’s office did not release additional details. (WSOC)
Independence bus lanes to be restored: Work is expected to start today to allow the Independence Boulevard bus lanes to be used again after being closed for years. (Axios Charlotte)
Flight ended: Frontier Airlines is cutting its nonstop flights between Charlotte and Las Vegas. (The Points Guy)
Trump endorses Robinson for governor: In a rally in Greensboro on Saturday, former President Donald Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson for governor, saying Robinson is “Martin Luther King on steroids” and “better than Martin Luther King.” (WBTV/AP)
Some businesses steering clear of social district: Some businesses in Plaza-Midwood are not participating in the social district drinking zone, saying they have concerns about liability. Others are taking a wait-and-see approach as organizers start a slow roll-out. (WFAE)
DMV privatization explored: Republican state legislators questioned the head of the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles as they considered whether to privatize some of the DMV’s work. (WFAE)
Cotswold mall rezoning: The new owner of the Cotswold Village shopping center has submitted a rezoning request to the city to change the zoning to a “neighborhood center,” a designation that allows multifamily housing along with businesses. The application contained no details but listed the “proposed use” as “residential,” according to city documents. Asana Partners bought the mall in October for $110M.
Thumbtack art stolen: Thieves in Hickory made off with a 10-foot-long red thumbtack sculpture made of foam, acrylic and cardboard. The artist called it a “real-life art heist.” (Fox 46)
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman, BC Creative