Will a North Carolina sports betting launch date soon be announced?

After months of work, a North Carolina online sports betting date announcement may be on the agenda for tomorrow’s lottery commission meeting.

The North Carolina Lottery Commission is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, Jan. 24, and the proposed agenda for the meeting contains an item that many are speculating may be a launch date announcement.

The agenda contains only one action item, “Sports Wagering Authorization,” with no other details on what the item will be.

Is a March Madness launch actually possible?

Hopes are high that the commission will announce a start date during tomorrow’s meeting. It comes just several days prior to a crucial deadline for sports betting applicants, as they must submit their internal controls to the commission by Friday, Jan. 26, a key part of obtaining their certificates of compliance.

Sterl Carpenter, Deputy Executive Director Gaming Compliance and Sports Betting for the Lottery Commission, has revealed in the last several sports betting meetings that North Carolina’s launch date firmly depends on the applicants and their ability to submit necessary materials to the commission.

The quicker the operators receive their certificates of compliance, the quicker online sports betting can begin in North Carolina. Carpenter noted that each of the applicants are well aware of this part of the process from becoming licensed in other states and have all likely started working on the necessary requirements.

Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has publicly noted he hopes the state launches online sports betting by the NCAA March Madness tournament. With the state missing out on the upcoming Super Bowl in February, the March Madness tournament will be the final major sports betting event before NFL and College Football begins again in September.

The first-four round of the tournament will begin on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Underdog Sports announces sports betting partner

In other North Carolina sports betting news, Underdog Sports today announced it will team with McConnell Golf as part of its sports betting license application. McConnell Golf owns and operates Sedgefield Country Club, a private golf club, located in Greensboro and the host of the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship.

Each sports betting applicant, which will ultimately compete as gambling apps, is required by the state to partner with either a North Carolina sports franchise, arena, NASCAR track, or PGA Tour course to be eligible for a license.

Underdog Sports was the final applicant to announce its sports betting partner.

“Underdog is thrilled to launch our betting games in North Carolina in partnership with McConnell Golf,” said Jeremy Levine, founder and co-CEO of Underdog Sports, in a press release. “We’ve spent the last four years building our own technology so we can give sports fans in America new and different ways to enjoy the sports they love. We’re excited to be able to offer that to North Carolinians and look forward to evolving the experience with them.”

The remaining sports betting applicants and their market access partnerships are as follows:

The Catawba Two Kings Casino and Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Cherokee have also applied for a sports betting license in the Tar Heel State. Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Cherokee will likely partner with Caesars Sportsbook to run its sports betting if it receives a license.