There’s still no date for when North Carolina sports betting will be up and running. However, the number of applicants for operator licenses continues to grow.
The North Carolina State Lottery Commission held a meeting Wednesday to get an update on sports betting. It was essentially a repeat of the Commission’s Sports Betting Committee held last week, in which committee members approved a recommendation for independent labs and a recommendation for operator applicants to submit internal controls documentation. The Commission unanimously approved both measures.
The only new information revealed Wednesday was the announcement of a deadline for operator applicants to submit their internal controls documentation by Jan. 26. Sterl Carpenter, the lottery’s deputy executive director for gaming compliance and sports wagering, told commission members that approval of applicants’ internal controls documentation and processes is necessary for qualified applicants to receive a certificate of compliance and begin taking bets.
“Operator applicants can wait to see if they are granted a license before they begin work on the certificate of compliance activities, but that said, given the excitement among applicants and many members of the public for sports betting going live, we think application review and these compliance activities can be underway at the same time,” Carpenter said.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has mentioned starting sports betting in time for the start of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is the goal. The pairings for the tournament will be announced on March 17.
The Lottery Commission’s Sports Betting Committee is set to meet next on Jan. 30.
Tribes File For Online Sports Betting Licenses
Carpenter also updated the commissioners on the number of applications the lottery has received. Nine aspiring operators have filed for a North Carolina sports betting license, with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Catawba Nation the newest applicants. Both tribal nations operate casinos in North Carolina and have brick-and-mortar sportsbooks at their facilities.
Neither has officially mentioned a sports betting partner, but Caesars Entertainment operates EBCI’s two Harrah’s casinos. Caesars has submitted an application for a service provider license in North Carolina.
New York-based Delaware North operates Catawba’s Two Kings Casino. Delaware North operates the Betly.com brand, which works on the Gamewise platform it has created with Belgian developer GAMING1.
A message to Delaware North was not immediately returned on Wednesday.
We are getting closer to live North Carolina sports betting apps. Stay with BetCarolina.com for all the latest sports betting updates and developments.
