Sports betting operators approved to take bets in NC. Here's the list.
Bettors in North Carolina can choose from at least eight sports betting sites when wagering begins in the state on March 11.
Eight operators were approved for licenses Thursday by the North Carolina Lottery Commission.
They are: bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics Sportsbook, FanDuel, Underdog Sports and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, whose online wagering will be handled by Caesars Sportsbook, which was awarded a supplier license.
Customers in North Carolina can create accounts with the licensed operators and begin putting money into those accounts Friday at noon. Betting can begin at noon on March 11, one day before the ACC men's basketball tournament starts in Washington, D.C.
“Issuing the first interactive sports wagering operator licenses today represents a major milestone in establishing legal sports betting in North Carolina,” Ripley Rand, chair of the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, said in a statement.
“North Carolinians can begin signing up for accounts on their mobile devices on Friday with the confidence they will soon be able to make wagers on their favorite sporting events securely and responsibly. We’re just 11 days away from the start of sports betting in North Carolina and we will be working every day between now and then to see that our launch is a successful one.”
The Catawba Indian Nation has also applied for an operator license, but it had not been granted one as of Thursday evening.
Guide: Legal sports betting in North Carolina begins March 11
State law allows for 13 operators in North Carolina. So more could apply for licenses later. Each licenses costs $1 million.
Bettors can place wagers on a wide range of sports, including college and professional games.
In order to obtain a license under state law, the operators had to sign a written designation agreement with one of 13 entities: a North Carolina-based professional team, facility, NASCAR, the PGA Tour or with a federally recognized tribe in the state.
The written designation agreements were tucked into the state's budget bill months after the original bill was signed into law in June. The agreement gives operators market access in the state, but does not in any way limit where or how they can accept bets. The teams, facilities and leagues can only enter into one written designation agreement.
It means that as many as six other operators could enter the state in the future.
Here's which teams/facilities have reached agreements with sports betting operators:
Future MLB team in North Carolina: n/a
Charlotte FC (MLS)
Charlotte Hornets (NBA): bet365
Carolina Panthers (NFL)
Carolina Hurricanes (NHL): Fanatics Sportsbook
NC Courage (NWSL)
Charlotte Motor Speedway: BetMGM
North Wilkesboro Speedway
Quail Hollow Club: ESPN Bet
Sedgefield Country Club: Underdog Sports
NASCAR: DraftKings
PGA Tour: FanDuel
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians: Caesars Sportsbook
Catawba Indian Nation
"Today, future bettors are opening mobile sports betting accounts for the first time in North Carolina. Wagering in the state begins on March 11. WRAL Sports Investigative Reporter Brian Murphy talks about two big steps toward launch day that happened this week."
