State regulators kept the March 11 online North Carolina sports betting launch on track with a few procedural approvals this week.
The North Carolina State Lottery Commission approved three action items on Wednesday in anticipation of next month’s online sports betting rollout. The commission also learned eight operators are on track to debut March 11, the day online NC sports betting can go live.
Along with being prepared for March 11, the eight operators also should be ready for user registration and deposits beginning March 1.
“We are continuing to make significant strides toward putting all the different pieces together and being prepared for the successful launch of sports wagering on March 11,” Commission Chair Ripley Rand said. “I want to thank everybody who’s been working hard to make all of this happen.”
NC sports betting action items
Along with hearing an update on the launch timeline, the commission approved the three action items on the agenda. Those items were:
- Voluntary self-exclusion program
- Compliance forms, including error report and complaint forms
- Tribal enterprise agreement, which allows the state’s federally recognized tribes to conduct online sports betting off tribal land
The commission also updated the NC Lottery’s compliance code that prohibits employees, commissioners and immediate family members from betting on sports.
Operators ready for NC sports betting
Sterl Carpenter, NC Lottery deputy executive director of gaming compliance and sports betting, said the eight applicants are working with lottery staff to be licensed by the March dates. The eight operators are:
- Bet365 partnered with the Charlotte Hornets
- BetMGM partnered with Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Caesars partnered with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
- DraftKings partnered with NASCAR
- ESPN Bet partnered with Quail Hollow Club
- Fanatics partnered with the Carolina Hurricanes
- FanDuel partnered with the PGA Tour
- Underdog partnered with Sedgefield Country Club
The Catawba Two Kings Casino applied for a license; however, it plans for a later rollout for online sports betting. There are four sports organization partners available for an online sportsbook to gain North Carolina access, including the Carolina Panthers.
Long road to North Carolina launch
Gov. Roy Cooper signed online NC sports betting into law in June 2023. Legislators then surprisingly amended the law during budget negotiations in September 2023, requiring sportsbooks to partner with professional sports organizations for a license.
That held up regulators, but once the legislative change was made, they set out to work to be live before the required June 14, 2024 deadline. Early on, the NC Lottery ruled out a launch in time for 2024 Super Bowl betting.
Cooper, however, stayed optimistic a launch in time for March Madness betting was in the cards. The NC Lottery later announced the March 11 date, which is the day before the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament begins.
