ESPN BET Claims North Carolina Betting Access Through Golf

• ESPN BET will partner with Quail Hollow Club for North Carolina sports betting market access.
• The deal makes ESPN BET the exclusive betting operator of the Wells Fargo Championship; a PGA Tour event located at Quail Hollow Club.
• North Carolina sports betting will launch sometime between Feb. 12 and June 14 of 2024.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A partnership between ESPN BET and Quail Hollow Club secures the newly-launched sportsbook access to the North Carolina sports betting market. There is no set date for North Carolina’s online sports betting launch, but regulators stated that it won’t happen until after the Super Bowl on Feb. 11.

PENN Entertainment announced on Tuesday that ESPN BET and the PGA Tour-licensed golf course agreed to a partnership. Their partnership makes ESPN BET the exclusive legal sports betting partner of the Wells Fargo Championship, taking place May 6-12, 2024.

ESPN BET becomes the second legal North Carolina sports betting site to reach a partnership with a professional sports organization or facility in the state. Bet365 announced a long-term partnership with the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 17.

How Will ESPN BET Affect The Wells Fargo Championship?

Although partnership with a professional sports organization or facility is a requirement for North Carolina operators, the ESPN BET partnership with Quail Hollow expects to be more than just an entry way into the sports betting market. Based on the statement provided by PENN Entertainment, “ESPN BET gains access to various marketing integrations, including the opportunity to activate and engage with golf fans on-site during the tournament.

It looks like ESPN BET and PENN Entertainment will have fun ways to engage in legal PGA Tour betting at the Wells Fargo Championship and future PGA events at Quail Hollow Club. Benjie Levy, Head of Penn Interactive, stated that “Along with market access, we’re excited to sponsor the popular Wells Fargo Championship and look forward to working together with our new partners to create unique fan activations.”

ESPN BET launched across 17 states on Nov. 14 and now adds another state to their growing sports betting market access. Bigger sports betting operators like FanDuel and DraftKings will likely follow suit with partnerships after the state opened their application process last week.

Sports betting applicants must submit applications before Dec. 27, then the state will have 60 days to review the sports betting applicants and reward licenses accordingly.

News tags: Benjie Levy | bet365 | ESPN BET | golf | North Carolina | Penn Entertainment | PGA Tour | Quail Hollow Club | Wells Fargo Championship