Six Sports Betting Operators Now Have Partners in North Carolina

While North Carolina still has no launch date for legal sports betting, they now have six operators who have secured partnerships within the state. The North Carolina State Lottery Commission (NCSLC) has received seven applications for their 12 available operating licenses. Of those seven, only one applicant is still working on a partnership with a local sports team, track, arena, stadium, or other local sports organization, as required by North Carolina law.

DraftKings is the most recent operator to secure a partnership in the state. The industry leader has partnered with NASCAR, which has a corporate office in the state.

“DraftKings and NASCAR have collaborated closely with each other over the years, sharing a like-minded commitment to enhancing the fan experience,” shared DraftKings’ President Matt Kalish in a press release. “We look forward to the next chapter in our journey together and offering our leading mobile sportsbook to fans in the state of North Carolina.”

DraftKings joins bet365, BetMGM, Fanatics, FanDuel, and ESPN BET in securing access to the state.

Underdog is the only operator left that has applied for a license but has yet to announce a partnership. The NCSLC has set a deadline of January 26 for all applicants to do so.

Sports Betting Launch Date Still Unknown

While a deadline has been set for applicants to secure partnerships in the state, the NCSLC has yet to announce an official launch date for the industry. The law allowed the industry to go live as soon as this month, but the state has struggled to get the final rules and regulations in place. 

Governor Cooper recently shared that he hopes sports betting will go live in time for March Madness but stopped short of setting that as a deadline. 

While the lack of a launch date frustrates some bettors, getting operators licensed will help cut down on the time needed to go live.