NC Pro Teams Choose Sports Betting Operator In New Proposal

• A proposed North Carolina budget changes how sports betting licenses will be awarded.
• Professional sports teams, sports facilities, NASCAR tracks, and PGA TOUR courses must choose a sports betting operator to partner with if the proposal is approved.
• Legal North Carolina sports betting will launch between Jan. 8 and June 15 of 2024.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Major changes to North Carolina’s sports betting licensing process were included in the state’s budget proposal. If approved, any sports betting operator hoping to take bets in North Carolina must partner with a professional sports team, NACAR track, PGA TOUR course, or approved sports facility.

The current legal sports betting law that was signed on June 14, 2023 states that “The Commission shall authorize no more than 12 interactive sports wagering operators.” With new language from the budget proposal, the 12-operator limit is replaced with “wagering operators who have a written designation agreement,” which opens the door for a varying amount of sports betting licenses in North Carolina.

The proposed change brings power to professional sports teams like the Carolina Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Charlotte Hornets to decide who can offer legal sports betting through their partnerships.

In other states with sports betting, partnerships between sports betting operators and professional teams were a side effect of sports betting legalization. In North Carolina, the proposal makes it a requirement for acquiring a sports betting license.

Which Venues Will Partner + When is NC Sports Betting Legal?

Language from the proposed budget states that in order to obtain a sports wagering license, operators must have a written designation agreement with either of the five options.

• A professional sports team.
• The owner or operator of a motorsports facility.
• A facility that hosts a professional golf tournament annually.
• A sports governing body that approves more than one NASCAR race in North Carolina.
• A sports governing body that approves more than one professional golf tournament.

Prominent locations that fit that criteria include Quail Hollow Country Club, Charlotte Motor Speedway, WakeMed Soccer Park, and the stadiums of other professional North Carolina sports teams. North Carolina license applications are currently unavailable.

These changes are proposed more than three months away from the earliest legal North Carolina sports betting launch date of Jan. 8, 2024. North Carolina must launch sports betting by June 15, 2024.

News tags: Carolina Hurricanes | Carolina Panthers | Charlotte Hornets | NASCAR | North Carolina | PGA Tour