March 12, 2025 <br> Listen to this story <em>(6 minutes)</em> <br>Sports betting has had a tremendous impact in more ways than one in its first year in North Carolina, as the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.carolinajournal.com/place-your-bets-sports-betting-officially-becomes-legal-in-nc/" rel="noreferrer noopener">first anniversary</a> was marked on Tuesday.<br>According to the <a target="_blank" href="https://uat.ncgaming.gov/Content/Documents/2024_Sports_Wagering_One-Year_Anniversary_Report.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener">North Carolina State Lottery Commission</a>, account holders in the state have placed more than $6.6 billion in paid and promotional bets, while players have won more than $5.85 billion.<br>Bettors have to claim the income on their state taxes and pay income tax on the winnings without being able to deduct losses.<br><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H14" rel="noreferrer noopener">House Bill 14</a> would change that if it becomes law. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.carolinajournal.com/state-lawmakers-push-to-allow-gambling-loss-deductions-in-step-with-federal-tax-code/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Its sponsors</a> describe it as a matter of tax fairness rather than a gambling bill. It seeks to correct what some lawmakers see as the unjust taxation of gross gambling winnings rather than net earnings.<br>Since sports betting’s launch, the gross wagering revenue made by the eight authorized sports betting operators totaled more than $713 million. After the 18% tax, the state is projected to receive more than $128 million in proceeds.<br><a target="_blank" href="https://ncgaming.gov/about/reports" rel="noreferrer noopener">Use of the tax proceeds</a> are as follows:<br>Of any remaining proceeds:<br>Approximately $2 million goes to the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to fund gambling addiction education and treatment programs.<br>NCDHHS shared figures and information regarding the state’s Problem Gambling Hotline with Carolina Journal in an email. There was a slight uptick in calls to the hotline from 2023 to 2024. There were 895 calls in 2023 compared to 1,288 in 2024.<br>However, online chats went up dramatically from 83 in 2023 to 247 in 2024, and texts more than doubled from 172 in 2023 to 449 in 2024.<br>NCDHHS has put safeguards in place for the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction related to sports betting.<br>They have partnered with East Carolina University (ECU) and <a target="_blank" href="https://bircheshealth.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Birches Health</a>, a New Jersey mental health organization providing nationwide virtual gambling addiction treatment, to pilot the first of its kind metric-based treatment program to evaluate both the treatment system and the outcomes of those who engage with treatment.<br>Birches Health founder Elliott Rapaport shared the following information with CJ in an emailed statement.<br>Interactive operators are required to offer responsible gaming tools to their players. These include features such as deposit and spending limits and timeouts. The state also offers tools that allow people to take control of their wagering and get help when they need it.<br>NCDHHS also has a partnership with EPIC Risk Management, an NCAA-funded organization, to provide prevention education on college campuses to athletes and students about the risks associated with sports betting.<br>In addition, the NC State Lottery Commission also created a Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program. This responsible gaming measure gives players control over their own access to legal sports gambling. It allows people to exclude themselves from wagering for one year, three years, five years, or a lifetime. Someone in the Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program will be unable to place sports wagers on any device or at any licensed sportsbook in North Carolina while the self-imposed ban is in place.<br>“After one full year of regulated sports betting in the state, the North Carolina DHHS Problem Gambling Program and State Lottery Commission deserve credit for having approached it with proper care, dedicating concerted efforts toward Problem Gambling research, awareness campaigns, treatment access and funding for specialized support,” Rapaport told CJ. “As other states consider legalizing sports betting, we hope they look to North Carolina as having set a new strong standard.” <br>People can call the North Carolina Problem Gambling Helpline at 877-718-5543 or go to <a target="_blank" href="https://morethanagame.nc.gov/" rel="noreferrer noopener">morethanagame.nc.gov</a> for more information on support for a gambling addiction.<br> Theresa Opeka is the Executive Branch reporter for the Carolina Journal. <br> A bill aimed at curbing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion agenda in public school classrooms cleared the Senate on March 11 in a party-line vote. Democrats attempted to amend the bill to weaken North Carolina’s two school-choice programs. <br> The United States Department of Education is facing restructuring, announcing Tuesday evening that nearly 50% of the DOE workforce is being laid off. <br> Citing the need to expand access to affordable, high-quality childcare across NC, Gov. Josh Stein issued an executive order establishing the Task Force for Child Care and Early Education. <br> Despite the differing opinions at Friday’s NC State Health Plan (SHP) Board of Trustees meeting, one thing was certain: The plan will become insolvent over the next two years if premiums or deductibles aren't increased, according to SHP officials. <br> Copyright 2025 John Locke Foundation. All Rights Reserved. <br><br><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxNM1hCZ1UxNHY4c2JIWVd3LU1PR25nUzQ3VzV0b19xUWtmVXIzLWFvbEdnbTNON2FCanEwVmQ1SURwWG03ZGtfVGIzRE8wT3N5QnNyeS1iTnF0bmlGUmdwaHZqQlRyX1pvQlhNNGE2akllT0FaQkpTLUpLMjJkQUR0eERvZw?oc=5">source</a>
