North Carolina Lottery Commission Awards Eight Operating Licenses Ahead of Launch

Just hours before the pre-registration window opens for sportsbooks, the North Carolina Lottery Commission finally issued licenses. They awarded eight sportsbook operators with licenses as expected, meaning they will be ready to open registration today before launching on March 11.

“Issuing the first interactive sports wagering operator licenses today represents a major milestone in establishing legal sports betting in North Carolina,” said NCLC chair Ripley Rand. “North Carolinians can begin signing up for accounts on their mobile devices on Friday with the confidence they will soon be able to make wagers on their favorite sporting events securely and responsibly. We’re just 11 days away from the start of sports betting in North Carolina, and we will be working every day between now and then to see that our launch is a successful one.”

The following sportsbooks received licenses from the North Carolina Lotter Commission (NCLC):

• FanDuel

• BetMGM

• DraftKings

• Fanatics

• bet365

• ESPN Bet

• Underdog Sports

• Caesars

The NCLC announced last month that eight operators were on track to be approved by today. They met that goal today, but with just hours to spare. 

Awarding licenses means North Carolina bettors can start signing up for one of the eight sportsbooks. While sports betting won’t go live until March 11, sportsbooks are offering additional bonuses for bettors who sign up before then.

The March 11 launch will allow North Carolina bettors to start wagering ahead of March Madness and the conference tournament. 

Catawba Nation Still Seeking Operating Partner

The Tar Heel State will likely see a ninth sportsbook launch within the first few months of legal sports betting. The Catawba Two Kings Casino has applied for a license but has yet to find an operating partner to run the online sportsbook.

The Two Kings Casino has one of North Carolina’s three retail sportsbooks. Retail betting remains restricted in North Carolina, despite the legalization of the online industry. 

The other two sportsbooks are found at Harrah’s locations and are operated by Caesars.

While the expansion of retail sports betting has been discussed in the North Carolina legislature, there are currently no plans to do so.