Fanatics Gains Sports Betting Access in North Carolina Thanks to Deal With Hurricanes
Fanatics Betting and Gaming became the second-last of the seven licensed North Carolina sports betting apps to sign a mandated deal with a sports venue, team, or league when it joined forces with the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes.
An actual launch date for legal sports betting in North Carolina has not yet been announced. However, the North Carolina Lottery Commission and its chosen list of prospective best sports betting apps have been busy fulfilling the regulatory requirements necessary to go live when the platform launches, likely in March.
Partnership deals are part of the regulatory requirements under North Carolina law.
“We are working with one of the most talented professional sports organizations that knows how to grow a sports business by putting a competitive product out on the ice,” said Fanatics Betting and Gaming CBO Ari Borod. “We look forward to partnering with the organization to bring sports fans in North Carolina a sports betting product that meets the expectations of such a passionate fanbase.”
More on the deal
The Fanatics Sportsbook and Carolina Hurricanes partnership is said to be a long-term agreement that makes one of the best sportsbooks the NHL club's official sports betting partner.
The partnership gives Fanatics access to what is expected to be a robust North Carolina sports betting and also the first crack at opening a retail sports betting facility at PNC Arena.
Fanatics will benefit from a host of marketing opportunities thanks to its relationship with the Hurricanes. Included is valuable signage in and around the team's home arena, a presence on all Carolina broadcasts (which includes TV and radio), and all of the Hurricanes' social media programming.
The Hurricanes gain a valuable tool in Fanatics’ ability to enhance fan engagement. Fans of the team will be able to access targeted Fanatics promos and contests thanks to the new arrangement.
"The Hurricanes are thrilled to welcome Fanatics as our Official Sports Betting Partner,” said Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell. “Fanatics Sportsbook will bring a user-friendly experience for North Carolinians to wager on sports responsibly, and we’re proud to partner with them on this endeavor.”
North Carolina sports betting sites
As mentioned, Fanatics is one of the last of the seven sportsbook licensees named in the initial batch of the state's successful applicants to sign a law-mandated partnership with a North Carolina sporting entity.
They include:
- bet365 with the Charlotte Hornets
- BetMGM with Charlotte Motor Speedway
- DraftKings with NASCAR
- Fanatics Betting and Gaming with the Carolina Hurricanes
- FanDuel with the PGA Tour
- PENN Sports Interactive (ESPN BET) with the Quail Hollow Club
All that is missing is an Underdog Sportsbook partnership deal to complete the full menu of operators for a potential March launch. Underdog has gained a license in the state, pending a partnership deal with one of the state's teams or sporting venues.
North Carolina promises to be a competitive market, complete with all of the best sports betting sites in the scene. Fanatics hopes to cut into the 75% national market share that FanDuel and DraftKings own.
Fanatics has been busy
Fanatics Sportsbook has been busy since its $225 million acquisition of PointsBet's U.S. operations this past summer. The sportsbook is available in 10 states (Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia), with an eye on at least four more this year.
The company just last month signed a partnership deal with the Connecticut Lottery Corporation to launch retail and online sports betting in that state. Fanatics was one of three sportsbooks to go live in Vermont on Jan. 11. North Carolina makes three market access deals in just the last 30 days.
There is more work to be done for Fanatics and its brass, but the company seems to be taking all of the right steps in becoming a major player in the bustling market.
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