North Carolina Sports Betting Partnerships Rounding Out

Jun 25, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) leads drivers early in the final stage of the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsSix of the seven applicants have announced their sports betting partnershipsEach sports betting operator must partner with a North Carolina sports franchise, NASCAR track, PGA course, or organizationDraftKings is the most recent operator to announce their partnership

Six of the seven North Carolina sports betting operator applicants have now announced their market access partnerships, with only Underdog Fantasy having not made their partnership public.

DraftKings is the latest operator to announce its partnership, as the company announced on Friday, Jan. 5, it had entered into a written designation agreement with NASCAR to operate in the  Tar Heel State if it receives a license.

“DraftKings and NASCAR have collaborated closely with each other over the years, sharing a like-minded commitment to enhancing the fan experience,” said Matt Kalish, president of DraftKings North America, 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.”

Sports Betting Launch Date Still Unknown

If licensed, North Carolina will be DraftKing’s 27th live sports betting state. The company has also been named the exclusive daily fantasy sports partner of NASCAR in the United States and Canada, and has become an authorized gaming operator of NASCAR and will receive additional sponsorship benefits within the NASCAR ecosystem nationally.

“DraftKings has a proven track record of enhancing the fan experience across sports,” said Joe Solosky, NASCAR managing director, sports betting, in a press release. “We are thrilled to continue working with DraftKings to deliver NASCAR fans more engagement opportunities and bring its leading mobile sportsbook to North Carolina.”

Six of the seven sports betting operator applicants have announced their partnerships. They are as follows:

bet365: Charlotte HornetsBetMGM: Charlotte Motor SpeedwayDraftKings: NASCARFanatics Betting and Gaming: Carolina HurricanesFanDuel: PGA TourPENN Sports Interactive (ESPN BET): Quail Hollow Club (PGA Tour course)

Underdog Sports Wagering LLC. has yet to announce its partnership.

Gov. Cooper Wants Sports Betting by March Madness

Gov. Roy Cooper (D), recently appearing on the Ovies + Giglio Show, discussed North Carolina’s sports betting future and publicly stated that his goal is to have sports betting launched in the state prior to the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament.

“The goal is to get it out there before March Madness. No guarantee that that’s the case, but that is the goal,” Cooper told the sports talk hosts.

The rules must first be approved, the state needs to ensure it receives correct amount of revenue, and everyone must be licensed and comply with the law before sports betting can launch. The first-four round of the tournament will begin on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

The state will launch online sports betting before it launches brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.