CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Football season is finally here and for the first time, North Carolinians can legally bet on the Carolina Panthers.
With more than two-thirds of American adults now living in states with legal sports gambling, sports wagering numbers are expected to rise. Bill Miller, the president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, said the NFL season is an especially exciting time for the industry. The AGA is also kicking off its 26th annual responsible gaming education campaign to promote safe betting practices.
"Our data shows that this season, $35 billion will be wagered on the NFL," Miller said. "And why that's exciting is because it's in the legal market."
Miller says there are two reasons for the significant bump from last year's $26 billion in sports wagering. First, more states have adopted betting. That includes North Carolina, where sports betting went live just in time for the March Madness basketball tournament.
The second reason is a growing understanding that sports betting is part of mainstream entertainment.
"It creates a different feel and vibe as it relates to the fan experience," Miller said. "We attribute the growth to be both increased markets and increased mainstream acceptance by the American public."
A whopping 38 states plus the District of Columbia now allow sports gambling. Miller said part of their public service campaign in September is AGA's Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ campaign to educate new and seasoned sports bettors about responsible sports wagering.
"A lot of people say they know how to bet on sports. They've been betting on sports for a long time," Miller said. "For the most part, those people were probably betting through their local bookie or through some online website that was offshore."
Now that sports gambling is legal in North Carolina, Miller says there are four important components to take into consideration. It starts with setting a budget.
"What can you afford to lose?" Miller said. "What is the same amount of money that you would spend on a concert or theater or something else? And two, that you set a budget and you stick to that budget. Don't chase losses."
Another thing to remember? It's supposed to be fun.
"It's with your friends, it's with your family and it's with your work colleagues," Miller said. "That helps enhance the entertainment value to it."
Potential gamblers also need to understand the odds.
"Know what it is you're betting on," he said. "Overs, under, what are the points favorites? If you're betting prop bets and those sorts of things that you truly have an understanding of. And certainly, there are many, many opportunities to better understand that."
Finally, Miller said it's really important to bet on a legally licensed operator. BetCarolina has a list of legal online sportsbooks in the state.
"Now that we have that in places like North Carolina and many other jurisdictions around the country, we want to see people have fun but do it responsibly and make sure that, you're always betting with a legal operator," he said.
If you or someone you love has a gambling problem, free help is available. Text "Morethanagamenc" to 53342.
Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
