First Seven North Carolina Online Sports Betting Applicants Announced

Oct 1, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) reacts in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY SportsSeven online sports betting operators have applied for interactive sports betting licenses in North CarolinaEach operator partnered with a state sports franchise, arena, PGA Tour course, or NASCAR track to submit an applicationOnly four sports betting operators have publicly announced partnerships

Seven sports betting operators have submitted applications for interactive sports betting licenses for North Carolina betting apps.

The North Carolina State Lottery Commission released the applications today. The seven initial applicants, if awarded licenses, will be eligible to immediately launch when North Carolina announces its sports betting date.

The commission will continue to accept license applications as it moves into 2024, but those who apply will not be eligible to launch on the first day.

Seven Operators Submit NC Sports Betting Applications

The first seven initial applicants are as follows:

bet365 North Carolina AppBetMGM North Carolina AppDraftKings North Carolina AppFanatics SportsbookFanDuel North Carolina AppPENN Sports Interactive (ESPN BET NC App)Underdog Sports Wagering, LLC

To submit applications, each sports betting operator must have a partnership with a North Carolina sports franchise, arena, PGA Tour course, or NASCAR Track. So far, four operators have publicly announced their partnerships in the state.

Underdog Sports Wagering is an interesting applicant. The operator specializes in daily fantasy sports contests (and currently operates in North Carolina) but has previously mentioned it would begin expanding into sports betting services.

FanDuel is partnered with the PGA Tour, Fanatics Betting and Gaming with the Carolina Hurricanes, ESPN BET with the Quail Hollow Club, and bet365 with the Charlotte Hornets. The remaining three operators have yet to make their partnerships public, but a DraftKings representative told Sports Betting Dime that it would make the announcement “soon.”

American Wagering Inc. (Caesars NC) applied for a service provider license in North Carolina. Caesars currently operates the sports betting services at two casinos in the state for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. North Carolina’s sports betting bill allows for the tribes to participate in online sports betting as well.

“Commission staff are now compiling and organizing the large volume of information contained in each application in order to assess the completeness of each submission and then undertake a substantive review,” the commission noted in a press release.

The commission will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis.

No start date has been officially announced, but recently a very heavy-hitter in the state has set a launch goal.

Gov. Cooper Wants Sports Betting by March Madness

Gov. Roy Cooper (D), recently appearing on the Ovies + Giglio Show, discussed North Carolina’s sports betting future and publicly stated that his goal is to have sports betting launched in the state prior to the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament.

“The goal is to get it out there before March Madness. No guarantee that that’s the case, but that is the goal,” Cooper told the sports talk hosts.

The rules must first be approved, the state needs to ensure it receives correct amount of revenue, and everyone must be licensed and comply with the law before sports betting can launch. The first-four round of the tournament will begin on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

North Carolina regulators announced earlier this month that a launch by February’s Super Bowl would not be possible.

“They’re working on it as fast as they can. I had them all in the room over there the other day pushing them saying we’ve got to get this done,” Cooper said.

Brian Murphy of WRAL was the first to report that the North Carolina Lottery Commission believes sports betting can launch prior to the June 15 deadline if continues at its current progress.

Checked with @nclottery after Gov. Cooper's sports betting comments to @giglio_OG @joeovies: "If progress continues at the pace it is now, an earlier start date than June 15 should be achievable, as the governor indicated. North Carolinians love basketball season and are looking…

— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) December 21, 2023