What to Expect When Sports Betting Begins in North Carolina

In only a few weeks, North Carolina will see the start of sports betting, with plans kicking into full throttle on March 11.

“The message now with the Education Lottery (who is over North Carolina sports betting), is that it’s very real now,” said Max Bichsel, Executive Vice President, North America for Gambling.com Group.

“Yeah, you missed the football season.  Yeah, you missed the Super Bowl, but you’ll get the ACC tournament, the entirety of the NCAA tournament, and having the first two rounds at the Spectrum Center creates an environment that gets people excited.”

What is Expected and What May Happen?

As sports betting is about to kick off in the State, up to 12 sports betting operators will expand their services into the state. Right now, 8 operators have sent applications to operate in the state: FanDuel NC, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, bet365, ESPN BET, Caesars, and Underdog Sports have all applied for North Carolina online sports betting licenses. 

Each operator is keen to grab their share of the legalized sports betting market, particularly in College Sports. And since it's all regulated, the State of North Carolina will also have a stake in it. Plus, it's going to be user-friendly!

“It’s now easier to place a bet than it is to get an Uber,” said Shannon Sommerville, sports betting analyst, host, and sports reporter.  “And that’s kind of the situation.  It’s going to be so normalized that we’re just hopping on our phone during a live game to place bets, instead of bets for a game.”

How much sports betting will bring in from taxes and to the companies running the services in North Carolina is the one mystery surrounding the industry.

“The NFL will make about $1 billion over the course of five years from its three sportsbook partnerships, and that doesn’t include the teams who have deals,” said Bill King, the lead contributor to Sports Business Journal.

It's estimated that North Carolina might rake in about $100 million in tax revenue during the initial five years. King, on the other hand, thinks the figure could be even higher, which would mean even more tax revenue coming in.

“People bet $1 billion the first month in Ohio,” said King.  “I’m not saying it’s going to be like that in North Carolina, but it will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.”

How does it affect businesses?

Legalizing sports betting won't lead to a big surge in job openings because most of the betting action will happen online. In North Carolina, making sports betting legal is taking quite a while. It's such a big deal that one company is even shifting its base.

For Gambling.com Group founders, originally from North Carolina, the company is setting up shop in a new spot in the lower South End. They've been around Charlotte for a bit, but now they're getting ready to settle down in a more stable location.

“It behooves us to have talent in North Carolina,” said Bichsel.  “It’s the most sensical, obvious place for us to pitch our tent.”

Sports betting is also focused on connecting with a new crowd. The usual sports audience tends to be older, but those who bet on sports are generally younger. So, leagues and services are making an effort to attract this younger group.

In the meantime, we get up to March 11. We will wait for all the North Carolina sportsbook promos to start being rolled out.