Article 9.
Sports Wagering.
§ 18C‑901. Definitions.
As used in this Article, the following definitions apply:
(1) Amateur sports. – A sporting competition that is not a professional sport, college sport, or youth sport. This term includes domestic, international, and Olympic sporting competitions.
(2) Cash equivalent. –‑ An asset convertible to cash for use in connection with authorized sports wagering that includes all of the following:
a. Foreign currency and coin.
b. Personal check and draft.
c. Digital, crypto, and virtual currency.
d. Online and mobile payment systems that support online money transfers.
e. Credit card and debit card.
f. Prepaid access instrument.
g. Any other form approved by the Commission.
(3) College sports. – An athletic or sporting competition in which at least one participant is a team or contestant competing on behalf of or under the sponsorship of a public or private institution of postsecondary education. This term shall not include a public or private institution of postsecondary education sponsorship of professional sports.
(4) Covered services. – Any service creating sports wagering markets and determination of sports wager outcomes that involves the operation, management, or control of sports wagers authorized by this Article. The term shall not include any of the following:
a. Payment processing and similar financial services.
b. Customer identity, age verification, and geolocation services.
c. Streaming or other video and data that does not include the determination of odds or line information.
d. Telecommunications, internet service providers, and other similar services not specifically designed for sports wagering.
e. Other goods or services not specifically designed for use in connection with sports wagering.
(5) Electronic sports. – Leagues, competitive circuits, tournaments, or similar competitions where individuals or teams play video games, typically for spectators, either in person or online, for prizes, money, or entertainment.
(6) Geofencing. – Technology approved by the Commission and utilized by an interactive sports wagering operator to verify a registered player's geolocation prior to the time the registered player is placing a sports wager.
(7) Gross wagering revenue. – The total of amounts received by an interactive sports wagering operator from sports wagers as authorized under this Article less the amounts paid as winnings before any deductions for expenses, fees, or taxes.
(8) Interactive account. – A mobile account established by a registered player for the purpose of placing sports wagers in accordance with this Article.
(9) Interactive sports wagering operator. – The holder of an interactive sports wagering license issued by the Commission.
(10) Key person. – An officer or director of a licensee or applicant for licensure who is directly involved in the operation, management, or control of sports wagering authorized under this Article, or who exercises substantial influence or control over the sports wagering activities.
(11) Official league data. – Statistics, results, outcomes, and other data relating to a sporting event obtained pursuant to an agreement with the relevant sports governing body or an entity expressly authorized by the relevant sports governing body to provide such data.
(12) Pari‑mutuel wager. – As defined in G.S. 18C‑1001.
(13) Professional sports. – An athletic or sporting competition involving at least two competitors who receive compensation for participating in such event.
(14) Registered player. – An individual who has established an interactive account with an interactive sports wagering operator.
(15) Service provider. – A business entity that provides covered services to an interactive sports wagering operator and holds a service provider license.
(16) Sporting event. – Professional sports, amateur sports, and college sports, all of which may include electronic sports, and any other event approved by the Commission.
(17) Sports facility. – Any of the following:
a. A motorsports facility that annually hosts more than one National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing national touring race.
b. A facility that hosts a professional golf tournament with more than 50,000 live spectators anticipated to attend based on similar prior tournaments.
c. A facility that is the home location of a professional sports team that competes in any of the following professional leagues:
1. Major League Baseball.
2. Major League Soccer.
3. National Basketball Association.
4. National Football League.
5. National Hockey League.
6. National Women's Soccer League.
(18) Sports governing body. – An organization headquartered in the United States that prescribes final rules with respect to a sporting event and enforces the code of conduct for participants therein. In the context of electronic sports, the sports governing body shall be the video game publisher of the title used in the electronic sports competition, regardless of location.
(19) Sports wager or sports wagering. – Placing of wagers on any of the following: (i) a sporting event, (ii) a portion of a sporting event, or (iii) the individual performance statistics of athletes in a sporting event or combination of sporting events. The term also includes single‑game wagers, teaser wagers, parlays, over‑under, moneyline, pools, exchange wagering, in‑game wagering, in‑play wagers, proposition wagers, straight wagers, and any other wager approved by the Commission.
(20) Sports wagering brand. – The names, logos, and brands that an interactive sports wagering operator advertises, promotes, or otherwise holds out to the public displaying its sports wagering platform.
(21) Sports wagering platform. – A website, mobile application, or other interactive platform accessible via the internet, mobile, wireless, or similar communication technology that a registered player may use to place sports wagers authorized under this Article.
(22) Sports wagering supplier. – A person that provides services, goods, software, or other components necessary for the creation of sports wagering markets and determination of sports wager outcomes, directly or indirectly, to any interactive sports wagering operator or service provider involved in the acceptance of sports wagers, including any of the following: providers of data feeds and odds services, internet platform providers, risk management providers, integrity monitoring providers, entities engaged in facilitating or enabling sports wagering activities on behalf of, or in affiliation with, interactive sports wagering operators in places of public accommodation, and other providers of sports wagering supplier services as determined by the Commission. The term does not include a sports governing body that provides raw statistical match data to one or more designated and licensed providers of data and odds services.
(23) Tier one sports wager. – A sports wager that is determined solely by the final score or final outcome of the sporting event and is placed before the sporting event has begun.
(24) Tier two sports wager. – Any sports wager that is not a tier one sports wager.
(25) Tribal gaming enterprise. – A federally recognized Indian tribe that is authorized to conduct Class III games in accordance with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq., in this State or a business entity owned or controlled by such tribe. Any federally recognized tribe, or business entity owned or controlled by the tribe, that is deemed an interactive sports wagering operator under this Article shall include authorization for any technology and sports wagering brand partners of the tribe or the business entity owned or controlled by the tribe, subject to compliance with the terms of this Article by the technology and sports wagering brand partners.
(26) Youth sports. – An event in which the majority of participants are under the age of 18 or are competing on behalf or under the sponsorship of one or more public or private preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary schools. The term does not include the following:
a. Professional sports.
b. Sporting events that occur under the sponsorship or oversight of national or international athletic bodies that are not educational institutions and that include participants both over and under the age of 18. (2023‑42, s. 1.)