Seven mobile sports betting companies have applied for a license to operate in North Carolina, meeting the deadline of December 27. If approved, these operators would be qualified to start their operations in the state as soon as a launch date is set by the Lottery Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the nascent market.
To obtain the necessary license, operators must form partnerships with professional teams, leagues, and venues in North Carolina. This requirement emerged following a change in the state budget, introduced months after the original sports betting law was passed by the state legislature. The commission is set to continue accepting applications and may authorize up to a dozen mobile operators.
License applications were received from FanDuel (Betfair Interactive US), BetMGM, DraftKings (Crown NC Gaming), Fanatics Betting & Gaming (FBG Enterprises North Carolina), bet365 (Hillside), Penn Sports Interactive (ESPN Bet), and Underdog Sports Betting. Teams like the Charlotte Hornets (bet365), the Carolina Hurricanes (Fanatics), the PGA Tour (FanDuel), and the Quail Hollow Club (ESPN Bet) had already announced partnerships with these companies ahead of the deadline.
Caesars Sportsbook, through its parent company American Wagering, applied for a service provider license rather than as an operator. Caesars operates two Cherokee tribe casinos in the state and could gain access to the mobile market through these agreements.
The commission plans to start mobile sports betting after the Super Bowl on February 11, with a final deadline of June 15 for the launch. There are expectations that the launch will occur before the start of March Madness on March 19, but an official date has not yet been announced by state lottery officials. The commission’s sports betting committee has scheduled a meeting for January 4, while the full commission is scheduled to meet on January 11.