NC Sports Betting Finally Set To Make Debut
The Super Bowl is right around the corner and bets from sports fans are starting to roll in, at least in other states.
Now, it is official that North Carolinians can get in on the sports betting action.
According to multiple sources, the North Carolina State Lottery Commission voted unanimously Wednesday (Jan.24) to allow operators to take mobile sports bets on March 11 at noon. North Carolina bettors can establish and fund accounts through approved operators on March 1.
“We are telling the public we are ready for sports wagering,” said Sterl Carpenter, the deputy executive director of gaming compliance and sports betting. “Now it is up to our operator applicants to show us that they can meet the requirements set by our General Assembly and by this commission.”
“Bets on sporting events have been made for as long as those events have taken place, but this time they will be legal, they will be done securely and fairly, and they will be made under rules designed to encourage responsible gaming,” said Ripley Rand, the chair of the commission, in a statement after the vote.
Horse racing and in-person betting will not be available on March 11.
The list of licensed operators will be posted at ncgaming.gov.
The commission had until June 15 to launch mobile sporting betting under state law but clarified that sports betting would not be available before the Super Bowl.
After a multi-year effort, state lawmakers gave final approval in June to legislation legalizing mobile sports betting and certain in-person sportsbooks. Gov. Roy Cooper, a proponent of legalized sports betting, signed the bill into law in Charlotte.
The law charged the lottery commission with implementing the law, setting up rules and regulations around gambling on sporting events and picking a start date. The commission hired Carpenter, a gaming industry veteran, to oversee North Carolina’s sports betting division.
Nine sports wagering operators have submitted applications to take bets in the state. They have until Friday to submit their proposed internal controls for review by the commission. The commission previously said that mobile sports betting would launch in the state before in-person sports betting at specified locations does.
Operators must have an agreement with certain in-state teams, leagues, or facilities in order to secure a license.
Operator agreements
Teams: Operator
Charlotte Hornets: bet365
Carolina Hurricanes: Fanatics Sportsbook
Carolina Panthers: not announced
NC Courage: not announced
Charlotte FC: not announced
Facilities: Operator
Quail Hollow Club: Bet ESPN (PENN Entertainment)
Sedgefield Country Club: Underdog Sports
Charlotte Motor Speedway: BetMGM
North Wilkesboro Speedway: not announced
Governing bodies: Operator
PGA Tour: FanDuel
NASCAR: DraftKings
Note: The Catawba and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which have in-person sportsbooks at their casinos in North Carolina, have also applied for licenses.