Caesars Entertainment has launched the first app for mobile sports betting in North Carolina under its Caesars brand. The company’s partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act allows the digital sports betting app to be active on all tribal lands.
Launch Looming
March 11th is the highly anticipated date when residents of North Carolina, or those within its borders, who are 21 and older can begin legally betting on sports through their mobile apps. However, Caesars got a slight jump on the process through its expanded partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians where the app is live at the tribe’s pair of casinos including Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy.
Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital, said: “The Caesars Sportsbook app is the perfect complement to our in-person retail sportsbooks in Western North Carolina that so many sports fans have enjoyed for years. We’re thankful to be able to offer wagering at the Harrah’s Cherokee properties as part of our longstanding relationship with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.”
Michell Hicks, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, added: “Over the years, the partnership between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Caesars Entertainment has only flourished and strengthened. We eagerly anticipate the chance to introduce mobile sports betting to North Carolina, offering a fresh and new experience to all sports fans.”
But Caesars and the other seven sports betting apps had to wait until March 11th to launch to the rest of the state. All the operators have been allowed to take early signups since March 1st in preparation for Monday’s launch. Many of them are also offering special signup bonuses to win customers and establish a foothold in the North Carolina market.
Who’s In?
The North Carolina State Lottery Commission has approved sports betting licenses to eight operators. But in order to get a license in North Carolina, sportsbook operators are required to partner with a professional sports team, venue, or one of the Native American tribes located in the Tar Heel State.
Below are the eight online sportsbooks and their respective sports betting partners:
- Bet365 – Bet365 signed a deal with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.
- BetMGM – BetMGM has partnered with Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- DraftKings – DraftKings has a deal with NASCAR.
- ESPN Bet – ESPN Bet has access to NC sports betting through an agreement with Quail Hollow Club and the PGA’s Wells Fargo Championship.
- Fanatics – Fanatics has applied to join the NC market through a deal with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.
- FanDuel – FanDuel has deals with the PGA Tour and the Carolina Panthers.
- Underdog Sports – Underdog has a deal with McConnell Golf, the parent company of Sedgefield Country Club.
- Catawba Two Kings Casino
- Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (Caesars)
North Carolina’s Retail Sportsbooks:
- Catawba Two Kings Casino (temporary location) – 538 Kings Mountain Blvd., Kings Mountain, NC 28086
- Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (sportsbook operated by Caesars) – 777 Casino Drive, Cherokee, NC 28719
- Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel (sportsbook operated by Caesars) – 777 Casino Parkway, Murphy, NC 28906
