- BetMGM has announced a partnership with Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- DraftKings has paired with NASCAR.
- The North Carolina State Lottery Commission (NCLC) is expected to announce the launch date for sports betting soon.
- Underdog Sports has submitted an application to the NCLC but has not yet disclosed its partner.
We look forward to the next chapter in our journey together and offering our leading mobile sportsbook to fans in the state of North Carolina.
Sports betting continues to take shape in North Carolina as two of the nation’s largest sportsbooks announced a pair of appropriately-sized partnerships, and two federally recognized tribes in the state appear headed to also participate in the market.
For nearly two weeks, it’s been common knowledge that BetMGM Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook were among seven operators to have submitted completed applications for a mobile sports betting license with the North Carolina State Lottery Commission (NCLC) — but the pair had yet to announce who they would partner with.
The mystery was solved last Friday. In separate announcements, BetMGM said it would partner with Charlotte Motor Speedway, while DraftKings paired up with NASCAR — both for sports betting in North Carolina and for NASCAR-related fantasy sports contests in the US and Canada.
“DraftKings and NASCAR have collaborated closely with each other over the years, sharing a likeminded commitment to enhancing the fan experience,” Matt Kalish, president of DraftKings North America, said Friday. “We look forward to the next chapter in our journey together and offering our leading mobile sportsbook to fans in the state of North Carolina.”
BetMGM’s partnership with Charlotte Motor Speedway meets a great demand for entertainment from North Carolinians.
Meanwhile, BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt heaped praise on Charlotte Motor Speedway, a track in Concord that hosts NASCAR and other races and which many consider the “home track” for NASCAR, aka the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.
“We have been eagerly awaiting legal, safe, regulated online sports betting in North Carolina, a state with more than 10 million people and one of the most vibrant sports environments in the country,” Greenblatt said in a separate statement Friday. “BetMGM’s partnership with Charlotte Motor Speedway meets a great demand for entertainment from North Carolinians.”
An exact day — or even a date range — for when North Carolina will launch sports betting could be announced at the next NCLC meeting on Wednesday. Regulators concede a launch will not occur in time for Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, but have suggested it will happen before the start of March Madness. State law requires a launch by June 14.
