North Carolina Online Casino Proponent Resigns From Legislature

Jason Saine, a North Carolina legislator who vocally supported online casino legalization, announced his upcoming resignation from the legislature. Saine will be replaced in mid-August by Heather Hager Rhyne.

Saine, who spearheaded the legalization of sports betting in North Carolina, wrote an op-ed in 2023 encouraging legislators to legalize mobile casino apps. Saine’s opinion piece, which was published in the Charlotte Observer, dropped around the same time lawmakers were considering allowing commercial casinos across the state.

“My fellow lawmakers continue to debate what gaming expansion looks like, but limiting this discussion to just brick-and-mortar casinos is a lot like building new movie theaters without allowing people to stream movies on their mobile devices,” Saine wrote.

Saine’s voice of support for online casinos won’t be in the state legislature during the 2025 session. He’s accepted a job in the private sector, according to multiple reports.

Online Casino Expansion Nationwide

With Saine leaving the legislature and North Carolina lawmakers not seriously discussing online casino legalization in 2024, it’s unclear when the topic might be broached in coming years. Several other states appear far closer than North Carolina to legalizing online casino games.

New York Sen. Joseph Addabbo has been a vocal supporter of online casino legalization in recent years, and there’s optimism that there could be a stronger appetite for legalization in 2025 or 2026. Operators view New York as a major prize in the mobile casino industry.

Maryland legislators discussed the possibility of legalizing online casinos throughout the 2024 session, but efforts failed. Still, the topic is expected to be discussed in the upcoming years.

Photo: Getty Images.