NC’s pro teams, venues see big possibilities in on-site sports gambling lounges
PNC Arena in Raleigh sits alone, sharing a parking lot with a football stadium but little else.
The home of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and N.C. State’s men’s basketball team, the arena is surrounded by surface parking lots, Carter-Finley Stadium and ... not much else. None of the bars, restaurants or other amenities that might draw folks to the area outside of event days. It is not downtown and not close to campus.
But a provision in state legislation to legalize online sports gambling could offer the Hurricanes a way to build up the area. It would allow a small number of sports facilities in the state to host sportsbooks or, perhaps more accurately, sports lounges where patrons could bet on the games with others. PNC Arena is owned by the Centennial Authority.
“We’re kind of isolated where we are — not being in downtown, not a lot right around the arena. If we could get the sports gambling build-out, a nice little music theme, sports theme, restaurant that people could then come to not only gamble, but to eat. It might attract more people to some of our events,” Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said.
Waddell has been to the state legislature a handful of times to discuss Senate Bill 688 with lawmakers and encourage them to support the legislation, which passed the Senate in 2021 and could get a vote in the House this year. Gov. Roy Cooper has expressed support for online sports gambling legislation.
The NHL’s Hurricanes and the state’s other two professional teams — the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers — are backing the legislation, as is Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord.
The arenas for all three professional teams as well as Charlotte Motor Speedway would be able to host the lounges under the terms of the legislation. So, too, would Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club, which hosts an annual PGA Tour event.
The sports lounge can be on the premises or up to one-half mile from the site. Bettors would have to have an online account, unlike a casino sportsbook where you can simply place a bet with cash anonymously. Still, the teams see value in being that gathering place — rather than folks betting from their mobile devices alone.
Charlotte Motor Speedway sits near one of the busiest Interstate exits in the southeastern United States, an area often teeming with visitors. The venue is looking for a way to bring more people there, outside of its two annual NASCAR races and other scheduled events.
“What am I doing that entertains the guest? What activities do they have? What things can they do and engage in them? A sports lounge, sportsbook is one more thing that is entertaining,” Greg Walter, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s executive vice president and general manager, said.
Walter, too, has spent time meeting with lawmakers, hoping to answer their questions and convince them of how helpful the legislation would be for his facility. He said there are encouraging signs in the legislature.
“It’s a complicated topic, a complex topic. Those of us who have an interest in it passing, need to explain the texture of what this bill will do, why this does make sense,” Walter said.
This story was originally published January 30, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "NC’s pro teams, venues see big possibilities in on-site sports gambling lounges."
