FanDuel and Fanatics Announce Partnerships to Enter North Carolina Sports Betting Market

The North Carolina sports betting market added two more operators this week. Fanatics announced they had agreed to a partnership with the Carolina Hurricanes, while FanDuel signed a new deal with the PGA Tour. That will allow both operators to launch their sportsbooks when the North Carolina sports betting industry goes live in 2024.

The Tar Heel State’s betting law requires all operators to partner with a local sports establishment in order to launch an online sportsbook. Those establishments can include teams, arenas, pro race tracks, or PGA golf courses. The state is one of the few that does not require a partnership with local tribes.

North Carolin now has four operators approved to launch sportsbooks. ESPN BET secured a license by partnering with the Quail Hollow Club, and bet365 gained market access through the Charlotte Hornets. Currently, 12 other operators are making deals to enter the North Carolina sports betting market.

Three retail sportsbooks are live in the state, each located at a tribal casino. 

North Carolina Online Sports Betting Launch Date Still Unknown

The state’s sports betting law allows the online industry to launch in January, but the North Carolina Lottery Commission (NCLC) has announced that won’t happen. The sports betting regulator has shared that there is still no set launch date but confirmed it won’t happen until after the Super Bowl in February.

"Many people want to know when North Carolina will begin permitting legal sports betting,” NCLC Char Ripley Rand said of the launch. “The commission and staff take these responsibilities seriously and are committed to ensuring the job is done in a complete, professional, transparent, and timely manner. We will keep the public up to date about when these programs will launch," 

North Carolina’s sports betting law required the state to launch by June 2024.