North Carolina sports betting might bring a new meaning to the term March Madness.
In less than a month, statewide online sports betting will launch in the Tar Heel State, and in less than two weeks, adults 21 and older can begin to register with their favorite North Carolina sports betting apps. In the meantime, many people are already doing their homework on the operators that have applied for licenses.
So, which one is their favorite?
With the launch of online sports betting coming to North Carolina on March 11th, our team at BetCarolina.com looked at which sportsbooks that people in North Carolina are clamoring to place a bet. Utilizing Google Trends for each sportsbook over the last 90 days, we were able to gather data for each sportsbook coming to the state.
And the winner is…
Sportsbooks NC Residents Are Looking Forward To Most
It’s no surprise to see DraftKings North Carolina and FanDuel battle it out for the top spot. They’re the UNC and Duke of the online gaming industry, and they’ll likely battle it in North Carolina as they have in other states.
ESPN BET and bet365 tied for third in our study, and they contrast with one another. ESPN BET is a newly launched product by PENN Entertainment, and it’s being heavily promoted by personalities from its sports media giant namesake. On the other hand, bet365 is an established brand based in Great Britain, and while it has made strides recently in several U.S. markets, its advertising strategy is more low-key.
Bet365, by the way, was the first operator to announce a North Carolina sports betting partnership, doing so with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.
Well-established brands ranked right behind those two. BetMGM North Carolina, which will partner with the Charlotte Motor Speedway, came in fifth place. Caesars Sportsbook already has a presence in North Carolina as it operates two brick-and-mortar sportsbooks at the Harrah’s casinos owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the western portion of the state.
Behind them are two newer entries in the sports betting field. Underdog Sports is a Brooklyn-based company that has made its name as a daily fantasy sports operator in recent years. North Carolina marks its first foray into sports betting. Meanwhile, Fanatics Sportsbook launched last year as the online sports retailer is trying to make a name for itself in gaming.
North Carolina Sports Betting Status Report
For now, no operator licenses have been approved by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, the state agency put in charge of regulating sports betting. That’s likely to change soon, though.
On Monday, Commission Deputy Executive Director Sterl Capenter told the agency’s Sports Betting Committee that eight of the nine operator applicants are progressing toward being approved to start taking bets on March 11. While he did not specifically name the applicants, it’s largely assumed the eight ranked above are the ones on track for the launch date.
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