North Carolina Sports Betting Launch
The North Carolina State Lottery Commission has set March 11 as the date when legal online sports wagering will go live in the Tarheel State. The Sports Wagering Authorization vote and launch date were announced during a brief meeting on Wednesday.
North Carolina already has retail sports betting at three casinos in the state. House Bill 347 signed in June 2023 by Governor Roy Cooper adds North Carolina online sports betting and gives residents the option to place a bet through a phone app or website.
With the Sports Wagering Authorization approved by the commission, anyone in North Carolina who is at least 21 years old and has created an account with a licensed operator in the state can use their phone or electronic device to place a sports bet.
New players can begin registering with online sportsbooks starting March 1 but will have to wait until 12:00 p.m. on March 11 to place their first bet.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, the commission warned that before offering bets or registering new players, sports wagering operators like DraftKings and FanDuel must obtain a license and receive a certificate of compliance from the commission. Those documents have not been issued yet.
“The commission is reviewing nine applications for interactive sports wagering operators,” the commission said in a press release. They urged applicants to submit their proposed internal controls for review by Friday, to help ensure they are ready to offer sports wagering on the first day.
Sportsbook Seeking Access in North Carolina:
- bet365
- BetMGM
- DraftKings
- ESPN BET
- Fanatics Betting and Gaming
- FanDuel
- Underdog Sports
Underdog Sports recently joined the list. The company announced on Tuesday they have entered into a partnership with McConnell Golf as part of its application for a sports betting license in North Carolina. McConnell Golf, through its ownership, operates Sedgefield Country Club.
Underdog currently operates and offers fantasy sports products in 33 states.
“It is up to the applicants to finish the job in order to go live on March 11,” said Cari Boyce, chair of the commission’s Sports Betting Committee.
Launching Ahead of Deadline
The plan approved today means that North Carolinians will be able to place bets on their favorite teams in many of this year’s college basketball conference tournaments.
Players will be able to bet on the “men’s tournaments in the ACC, Conference USA, the MEAC, and the AAC, as well as throughout the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments,” said Ripley Rand, chair of the 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.”
The start date of March 11 comes more than three months ahead of the June 15 deadline set by state law.
“We are telling the public that we are ready for online sports wagering. It’s up to our operator applicants to meet the requirements set by the General Assembly and this commission,” said Sterl Carpenter, deputy executive director Gaming Compliance and Sports Betting for the Lottery Commission.
