Underdog Sportsbook Tabs McConnell Golf as Sports Betting Partner in North Carolina

Underdog Sports fulfilled a mandated partnership deal with McConnell Golf on Tuesday.

James Bisson

Last Updated: January 24, 2024 2:50 PM EST • 3 minute read

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The countdown is on for the official launch of North Carolina's legal sports betting platform and prospective providers are tying up some loose ends ahead of that impending date.

Count Underdog Sports as one of those North Carolina sports betting apps ready for takeoff. On Tuesday, it was announced that the licensed sports betting provider finally fulfilled a mandated partnership deal with McConnell Golf, which owns and operates Sedgefield Country Club, home of the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship.

Underdog Sportsbook is the last of seven licensed sportsbooks in the Tar Heel State to complete the licensing requirement of partnering with one of the state's sports franchises, arenas, NASCAR tracks, or PGA Tour courses.

North Carolina will represent the first-ever sportsbook platform for Underdog Sports, which has cut its teeth in the U.S. sports wagering scene as a DFS provider in 33 states across America.

“Underdog is thrilled to launch our betting games in North Carolina in partnership with McConnell Golf,” said Jeremy Levine, founder, and co-CEO of Underdog Sports, in a press release. “We’ve spent the last four years building our own technology so we can give sports fans in America new and different ways to enjoy the sports they love. We’re excited to be able to offer that to North Carolinians and look forward to evolving the experience with them.”

Underdog promises something different

Underdog Sports will go live with its first-ever sportsbook in the Tar Heel State, when the yet-to-be-determined launch date is announced. It will be up against the biggest sportsbook players in the American market but promises a different twist on the traditional sports betting platform.

“We’re going to build a not-so-traditional sportsbook,” said Jeremy Levine last year. He said that Underdog clients could expect “a whole new live betting experience that doesn’t feel like the static sportsbook experience in the industry. Ours will look quite different. It will feel more like an immersive experience. And moving forward, we’re looking at different platforms, like voice, augmented reality, virtual reality.”

Make sure to take advantage of the top North Carolina sportsbook promos before signing up with any sportsbook.

North Carolina betting scene takes shape

When the North Carolina sports betting industry finally launches (sometime after Super Bowl but before March Madness), there will be seven North Carolina sports betting sites that have all-but fulfilled the requirements to go live. The list is complete with Underdog's announcement Tuesday.

Tar Heel State bettors can look forward to the following sportsbooks to choose from:

bet365 in partnership with the Charlotte Hornets
BetMGM thanks to a deal with Charlotte Motor Speedway
DraftKings as a result of a partnership with NASCAR
Fanatics Betting and Gaming in conjunction with the Carolina Hurricanes
FanDuel thanks to a deal with the PGA Tour
PENN Sports Interactive (ESPN BET) because of their deal with Quail Hollow Club
Underdog Sportsbook because of Tuesday's deal with McConnell Golf

Two other legal sports betting applications have been acknowledged by North Carolina regulators. The Catawba Two Kings Casino and Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Cherokee have each applied with the latter rumored to be in partnership talks with Caesars Sportsbook.

So now it is up to the North Carolina Lottery Commission to finally provide an actual launch date for its state's much anticipated legal sports betting platform. The Commission next meets Jan. 24 when that date could finally be announced. Look forward to North Carolina sports betting apps joining the scene.

Written by:
James Bisson

James Bisson is the Editor-in-Chief of Sportsbook Review. He has been a writer, reporter and editor for more than 20 years, including a nine-year stint with The Canadian Press and more than five years at theScore. He has covered dozens of marquee events including the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2006 Stanley Cup final and Wrestlemania 23, and his work has appeared in more than 200 publications, including the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, Yahoo! Sports, the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. His book, “100 Greatest Canadian Sports Moments”, was a hardcover best-seller in Canada in 2008 and earned him appearances on CBC Radio and Canada AM. He has written more than 50 sportsbook reviews, more than 200 industry news articles and dozens of other sportsbook-related content articles. A graduate of the broadcast journalism program at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), James has been an avid bettor since the early 2000s, and cites bet365 as his favorite sports betting site due to its superior functionality and quick payouts. His favorite piece of sports betting advice: "Stay in your lane. You're much more likely to have success betting sports you know, and focusing on finding angles and edges there."