CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Draftkings and BetMGM, two of the largest online sportsbooks in existence, announced agreements to operate in North Carolina once sports gambling launches in the state this year.
BetMGM announced it has partnered with Charlotte Motor Speedway to bring its online sports betting platform to the Tar Heel State, while DraftKings has officially partnered with NASCAR. Under North Carolina's sports betting legislation, sportsbooks must have an agreement with a sports franchise or league to operate in the state.
“BetMGM has established itself as a signature source for sports betting with partnerships in every major league sport and with venues across the country,” Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter said. “With Charlotte Motor Speedway’s history of innovation, we wanted to move forward into this new era of sports entertainment with a progressive sportsbook. This partnership with BetMGM will bring sports fans new ways to enjoy their favorite events while expanding North Carolina’s tax base, supporting colleges and facilitating recruitment of major events for the future.”
Both partnerships come one day after the North Carolina Sports Betting Committee met for the first time in 2024. Sports betting was initially expected to be up and running in time for the Super Bowl, but state leaders now have a deadline of June 14 to get things figured out. Officials said Thursday they hope to have online sports betting live in time for March Madness.
Seven operators have already applied for licenses in North Carolina, including BetMGM, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics and FanDuel.
“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."
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