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# North Carolina Commits $14.4 Million to WTA Finals
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-north-carolina-2026-09-19-b/
- Published: 2026-09-19T07:41:54.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-19T07:41:54.000Z
- Description: North Carolina committed $14.4 million in sports-wagering tax revenue to help secure the 2027 WTA Finals in Charlotte, subject to organizers meeting annual in-state spending requirements.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, North Carolina

North Carolina has committed $14.4 million to help secure the Women’s Tennis Association Finals in Charlotte in 2027, the largest award the state has posted through its [Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund](https://www.commerce.nc.gov/grants-incentives/major-events-games-and-attractions-fund?ref=theamericanquorum.com).

The [North Carolina Department of Commerce’s award list](https://www.commerce.nc.gov/grants-incentives/major-events-games-and-attractions-fund?ref=theamericanquorum.com) schedules the tournament for November 10-14, 2027, at Spectrum Center. The agency’s page lists no other 2027 award and shows the WTA grant nearly matching the $16.3 million committed across 11 events in all of 2026.

The WTA plans to stage its season-ending championship in Charlotte for at least three years beginning in 2027\. The event features the season’s top eight singles players and doubles teams, and a fan festival is planned at the nearby convention center, [Reuters reported](https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/wta-finals-be-held-charlotte-2027-chair-says-2026-09-16/?ref=theamericanquorum.com). WTA Chair Valerie Camillo said the tour will operate the event through a public-private partnership involving the city, county, state and local businesses.

The state money is structured as performance-based reimbursement rather than an unconditional payment. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said organizers must spend at least $12 million in North Carolina in each of the three years to receive up to $4.8 million annually, according to [Axios Charlotte](https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/09/18/north-carolina-mega-fund-wta-finals-charlotte-14-million?ref=theamericanquorum.com). The $14.4 million is for the Finals, not for the WTA headquarters that the organization also plans to establish in Charlotte.

North Carolina’s [authorizing law](https://www.ncleg.gov/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter%5F143b/gs%5F143b-437.112.html?ref=theamericanquorum.com) requires Commerce to determine that an event’s economic activity justifies the state contribution, that competing out-of-state sites were considered, and that the grant is necessary to attract or retain the event. The statute also requires expected benefits through employment, tourism promotion and a stronger state economy.

The fund is financed with revenue from North Carolina’s tax on sports wagering. Its [administrative guidelines](https://www.commerce.nc.gov/guidelines-major-events-games-and-attractions-fund/open?ref=theamericanquorum.com) limit grants to qualifying expenses incurred in connection with a major event and require access to records needed to confirm compliance. Agreements are also supposed to include provisions protecting the state’s interest in the money.

The WTA award represents a sharp increase in the scale of the program. Commerce lists the previous largest individual grant as roughly $3.17 million for the 2026 Biltmore Championship golf tournament near Asheville. Other 2026 commitments included about $2.25 million for NASCAR at Rockingham, $2.03 million for the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte and $1.47 million for The Soccer Tournament in Cary.

The expansion is also visible year over year. Commerce’s public ledger lists only two supported events in 2025, totaling $3.675 million. By comparison, the single 2027 WTA commitment is almost four times that first-year total, underscoring how quickly the state’s sports-event incentive program has grown.

The commitment does not resolve every part of Charlotte’s longer-term tennis plan. Local organizers have discussed adding a WTA 500 tournament after the Finals arrangement, but [Charlotte Sports Foundation officials said](https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/wta-finals-be-held-charlotte-2027-chair-says-2026-09-16/?ref=theamericanquorum.com) that would require a first-class tennis facility. The state’s MEGA grant is tied to the Finals and its qualifying expenses, not construction of a future venue.