We now know the identities of seven operators that plan to do business in North Carolina beginning in 2024. The suggested deadline for operators to apply for North Carolina online sports betting licenses was Wednesday, Dec. 27, and officials have confirmed a partial list.
Seven of the NC sportsbooks bettors in the Tar Heel State may be able to use are below:
- bet365
- BetMGM NC
- DraftKings NC
- ESPN Bet
- Fanatics Sportsbook NC
- FanDuel NC
- Underdog Fantasy
More on potential NC sports betting operators
It’s important to note that this list, released Friday, is only a partial one. Just a few weeks ago, the North Carolina Lottery Commission, in addition to approving a second set of NC online sports betting rules, announced it had received 14 license applications from operators.
Several big names are missing. The biggest one is Caesars Sportsbook NC, which is expected to have a significant foothold in the state given its existing retail sports betting operations in North Carolina.
We do know, however, that four of the seven sportsbooks listed above have publicly announced required partnerships with entities within North Carolina. bet365 has partnered with the Charlotte Hornets, ESPN BET will work with Quail Hollow Club, FanDuel will partner with the PGA Tour, and Fanatics has joined forces with the Carolina Hurricanes.
When will we know more?
The Sports Betting Committee’s first meeting of 2024 is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 4. The Commission will meet the following week, on Wednesday, Jan. 10. More information should be disclosed in those meetings, and we may know more about future partnerships and the rest of the applicants.
Also unknown is the official launch date of North Carolina online sports betting. The industry must open its virtual doors by June 14, 2024. That’s the one-year anniversary of when HB 347 was signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper.
We know that NC online sports betting will not be live by Super Bowl LVIII. The next major event it could launch before is the NCAA basketball tournament, which starts in mid-March.
In an interview earlier this month, Gov. Cooper has said a launch by the tournament is the goal. However, he added that wasn’t a certainty and stopped short of promising that to future North Carolina sports bettors.