North Carolina Sports Betting Update: 14 Operators Interested In Applying

North Carolina Sports Betting Update: 14 Operators Interested In Applying
Fact Checked by Nate Hamilton

As the application deadline draws near, more operators are expressing interest in North Carolina sports betting licenses.

At Wednesday’s North Carolina State Lottery Commission meeting, Sterl Carpenter, the deputy executive director for gaming compliance and sports wagering, said staffers have received 14 requests from sports betting operators. Last week, Carpenter told the commission’s Sports Betting Committee that 11 requests had been made.

Operators interested in a license must apply by Dec. 27 if they wish to start taking wagers on the first day sports betting and NC betting apps are authorized. That date has not yet been set, although lottery officials said they expect to make an announcement on that soon.

Also on Wednesday, the commission approved the second package of rules the lottery will use to license and regulate sports betting operators in the state. Those rules and the tranche passed last month can go into effect on Jan. 8.

Limited Number Of Licenses Available

The lottery has not revealed which operators have expressed interest in an application. However, three have already announced their intentions through partnership announcements. More are expected to be revealed soon.

The partnership announcements are required thanks to a provision North Carolina state lawmakers inserted into the budget in September, three months after passing House Bill 347, which legalized sports betting. For the lottery to consider an applicant for a license, the operator must secure a partnership with a local major professional sports team, a golf course hosting a PGA Tour annual event, a track hosting an annual NASCAR race, the PGA Tour or NASCAR.

Bet365 was the first to announce a partnership, signing with the Charlotte Hornets. ESPN BET North Carolina paired up with Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club, which hosts the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship. Last week, FanDuel and the PGA Tour inked a deal.

Based on the language in the budget amendment, 11 teams, venues, or professional sports organizing bodies would be eligible to partner with a sports betting operator. The partnerships will also allow for brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.

HB 347 also included a provision for the state’s two tribal casino operators, which already host sportsbooks at their venues. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has two Harrah’s casinos on its tribal land in the western part of the state. The Catawba Nation operates a casino in Kings Mountain, about 30 miles west of Charlotte.

Stay with BetCarolina.com for all of the best NC sportsbooks promos the industry has to offer as soon as they are available.

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Author

Steve Bittenbender
Steve Bittenbender
Sports Betting Expert & Insider

As a writer and analyst for BetCarolina.com, Steve not only covers gaming news and developments in North Carolina but also provides insights into what they mean for bettors, licensed operators and the state. <br> <br> Steve’s been featured in Axios, Queen City News, 97.9 The Hill, WNCT, CBS 17, WWAY, Spectrum News and several other news outlets across the Tar Heel State. He’s interviewed influential leaders in sports, {{anchor("gaming","BetCarolina.com - News - Filtered",44394,"","","","gtm-content-internal-links")|raw}} and politics. Over the past year, he’s covered the legalization of statewide {{anchor("North Carolina sports betting","BetCarolina.com - Homepage","","","","","gtm-content-internal-links")|raw}} as well as the discussion about approving commercial casinos. <br> <br> Back in August, Steve first reported that {{anchor("a March launch","BetCarolina.com - News - Filtered",39792,"","","","gtm-content-internal-links")|raw}} was most likely for North Carolina sports betting. <br> <br> Steve has broken news about {{anchor("what North Carolina sports betting apps will be available","BetCarolina.com - News - Filtered",48516,"","","","gtm-content-internal-links")|raw}}, and {{anchor("the state's launch","BetCarolina.com - News - Filtered",45236,"","","","gtm-content-internal-links")|raw}}. He has also covered {{anchor("how North Carolina college athletics programs stand to benefit from it","BetCarolina.com - News - Filtered",38021,"","","","gtm-content-internal-links")|raw}} and {{anchor("changes made to the sports betting law in the state budget","BetCarolina.com - News - Filtered",40726,"","","","gtm-content-internal-links")|raw}}. <br> <br> A veteran journalist with 25 years of experience covering sports, politics and business, Steve has reported on the gambling industry intently over the past five years, an era that has seen sports betting proliferate across the country in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic ruling overturning PASPA. <br> <br> You can also find Steve providing news updates and insights on his X account @BittGDCG.

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