North Carolina Lottery Commission Begins Officially Awarding Sports Betting Licenses

After a long wait and several delays, North Carolina took a crucial step toward launching online sports betting in the state. 

The North Carolina Lottery Commission (NCLC) has officially begun awarding sports betting licenses to vendors in the industry. While it doesn’t include the sportsbooks looking to enter the state, it includes several tech companies that help them operate.

So far, North Carolina has approved licenses for the following companies:

• FEMG CO.

• Idology Inc.

• International Betting Integrity Association

• LexisNexis Risk Solutions FL Inc.

• SIS Content Services Inc

• SportContentCo LLC

• Swish Analytics North Carolina Inc.

Having these seven companies approved will now clear the way for the NCLC to hand out licenses to sportsbook operators. 

“The licensees are the first issued in advance of the March 11 date for the start of sports wagering in North Carolina,” The NCLC said while announcing the licenses. “The provisional licenses are good for 180 days.”

Eight Sportsbooks Waiting for License Approval

A total of eight online sportsbook operators are hoping to have their licenses approved next. Each has secured a partnership with a pro sports organization in the state or a federally recognized tribe. 

The NCLC is currently reviewing applications for the following:

• FanDuel

• DraftKings

• Fanatics

• BetMGM

• ESPN Bet

• Caesars

• bet365

• Underdog Sports

While none of the above operators have officially been given the green light, both DraftKings and Caesars have already begun advertising that they will be live on March 11. While they cannot start the pre-registration process until March 1, they allow North Carolina bettors to sign up for updates until that time. 

North Carolina Will Be a Test for ESPN Bet & Fanatics

FanDuel and DraftKings are expected to dominate the market share, but the industry will closely watch how the rest of these operators stack up.

BetMGM can usually be found far below FanDuel and DraftKings in market share, but that has begun to change as Fanatics and ESPN have launched their platforms. Both are growing quickly, competing against each other for the small market share left behind by FanDuel and DraftKings.

ESPN and Fanatics have been quickly gaining popularity, but the North Carolina launch will be the first time we have seen these two new powerhouses compete in a brand-new market. As highlighted in this Fanatics Sportsbook review, the operator's unique rewards system and integrated sports ecosystem are key factors driving its status as a market disruptor.