UPDATED: First North Carolina Sports Betting Operator Licenses Awarded

• The North Carolina Lottery Commission has awarded its first sports betting licenses
• Eight operators received the licenses
• Operators will begin registering new players tomorrow

The first batch of North Carolina sports betting licenses have been awarded.

The North Carolina Lottery Commission announced today that it has awarded its first eight sports betting operator licenses. Each operator can begin registering new players tomorrow in the state.

Each of the operators will be eligible to launch online sports betting in the Tar Heel State on Monday, March 11.

A Historic Moment for North Carolina

The North Carolina Lottery Commission awarded licenses to the following operators and their partners:

• bet365 NC: Charlotte Hornets
• BetMGM NC: Charlotte Motor Speedway
• Caesars Sportsbook: Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Cherokee
• DraftKings NC: NASCAR
• Fanatics Betting and Gaming: Carolina Hurricanes
• FanDuel NC: PGA Tour
• PENN Sports Interactive (ESPN BET NC): Quail Hollow Club (PGA Tour course)
• Underdog Sports: McConnell Golf

As part of the requirements for a license, each operator had to partner with either a North Carolina sports franchise, arena, or PGA Tour golf course.

The Catawba Two Kings Casino is still awaiting an license.

Each of the licensed operators are expected to be ready on Monday, March 11, at noon when North Carolina launches online sports betting. It’s good timing for the state, as the NCAA will tip off its March Madness basketball tournament on Tuesday, March 19.

“Issuing the first interactive sports wagering operator licenses today represents a major milestone in establishing legal sports betting in North Carolina,” said Ripley Rand, chair of the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, in a release. “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.”