Sports wagering getting 2nd chance in state House

RALEIGH, N.C. (Associated Press) - North Carolina lawmakers are back to debating legislation to authorize sports wagering across North Carolina a year after a similar effort failed narrowly in the House.

The House Commerce Committee voted on Tuesday for the measure, which if enacted would open wide the sports wagering industry within the country’s ninth-largest state.

It must go through more committees before reaching the House floor.

Whether legalized gambling will cross the legislative finish line is no sure bet yet, but a bill sponsor says he feels the legislation is in a better position compared to 2022. Social conservatives and liberal Democrats still oppose the idea on moral and economic grounds.