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NC Online Sports Betting Will Not be Live for Super Bowl LVIII
Those eagerly anticipating the launch of NC betting apps will have to wait a bit longer.
The first day North Carolina is permitted to begin online sports betting is January 8, 2024. However, North Carolina Lottery Commission Chairman Ripley Rand recently confirmed that sports betting will not be launched in time for fans to wager on Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, February 11.
While legal online betting in North Carolina was approved earlier this year, many issues need to be addressed before the activity goes live in the state.
When will online sports betting launch?
Hundreds of provider applications are expected to be received by the commission, requesting that operators complete the application process quickly so they can be immediately operational once background checks begin. The launch date for betting apps will be specified after vetting and the approval of partnerships with professional sports teams and applicants accurately providing their internal controls to comply with state regulations.
Rand believes the Lottery Commission will be better positioned to announce an official launch date for online sports betting after the start of 2024. Because of the 60-day vetting and approval process, the earliest North Carolina would see online sports betting is in March. It could shoot for a date before March Madness, similar to when Massachusetts launched online sports betting on March 10, 2023, right before the start of the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament.
Expect plenty of North Carolina sportsbook promos whenever online betting is cleared for launch.
Online Sportsbooks Likely to Launch in North Carolina
Online sports betting rules in North Carolina allow a maximum of 12 providers, with licensing fees of $1 million and a tax rate of 18% on gaming revenue, which is about average for states currently offering legal online betting. The number of licenses available means the big online sportsbooks FanDuel and DraftKings will be among the first choices for bettors in North Carolina.
The bet365 online sportsbook has already gotten ahead of the game after securing a partnership with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. It could also be among the providers to launch its services on the first day of online betting. Smaller online sportsbooks available in states with more licenses, like New Jersey and Colorado, probably won’t be among the approved providers in North Carolina.