CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The North Carolina Sports Betting Committee met on Thursday for the first time in the year that sports betting will come to the state.
The committee originally hoped to have sports betting up and running before the Super Bowl, but that will no longer happen. Officials now have until June 14 to figure everything out but are aiming to get things running before then.
“I’m excited, I think it’s something that’s certainly going to benefit Charlotte, particularly with all our sports franchises and sports advocates here," Wesley Harris, a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, said.
The NC Sports Betting Committee continues to work on compliance, after officials pushed back a launch date.
“The faster we’re able to implement it, then the faster we're able to get those benefits and not have us lose out to other states who have moved before us," Harris said.
On Thursday, they announced the seven operators who have already applied for mobile sports betting licenses. Bet MGM, Draft Kings, ESPN BET, Fanatics, and Fanduel to name a few.
“The big names you don’t need to do a lot of vetting and background on those operators, but it’s getting everyone to comply and understand your laws and regulations," Brad Senkiw, a sports betting industry expert, said. It’s a lot of red tape, it’s a lot of boxes to check."
Now, the committee has to process the seven applications. Should they all win approval, they'll be able to go live at a date to be determined.
“Just hang tight, it’s coming and it’s better to do it right than push it through," Harris said.
The committee said they're focused on mobile gambling at this time with sportsbooks at sports arenas and stadiums to follow.
Officials are hopeful mobile sports betting will go live by the time March Madness tips off.