Caesars Earns Mobile Sports Betting License in North Carolina

It seemed like only a matter of time before Caesars Sportsbook was green-lighted as one of the North Carolina sports betting apps that will go live in the Tar Heel State on March 11 at noon local time. Pre-registration for the sites will begin March 1.

On Tuesday, Caesars Sportsbook officially announced that it’s expanding an existing partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The expansion will allow Caesars to offer legal mobile sports wagering in the Tar Heel State, in addition to its current retail, brick-and-mortar presence it has there. Caesars’ mobile launch is pending approval from the North Carolina Lottery Commission.

“Our relationship with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has spanned more than two decades,” Eric Hession, president of Caesars Digital, said in a press release. “Expanding this long standing partnership allows us to build on the premier sports wagering experience enjoyed at our in-person sportsbooks by bringing a responsible way to enjoy sports at a deeper level to the hands of North Carolinians 21 and older across the state.”

How the partnership came about

Caesars and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have been in business together since the tribe opened up a retail gambling facility in the state in 1997. Since then, Caesars has been the provider of sports betting at two tribal casinos in North Carolina.

Caesars Sportsbook’s two retail locations in the state include Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, N.C., and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy, N.C.

Legislation for North Carolina sports betting stipulates that any potential online provider must partner with a state tribe, one of the sports teams in the state, or one of the sporting venues that host one of North Carolina's teams.

The Caesars/Eastern Band partnership was an easy, obvious, logical, and seamless step for Caesars to gain mobile market access in North Carolina. New bettors should take advantage of all the top North Carolina sportsbook promos when signing up in March.

Win-win

Caesars has all-along been considered an obvious addition to the best sports betting apps in North Carolina. It’s the only sportsbook that had an existing presence in the state prior to Gov. Roy Cooper signing mobile sports betting into law and expanding the platform in his state for the first time since 2005.

Caesars will immediately benefit from pre-existing exposure as one of the best sportsbooks in the state and should also benefit from being one of the most recognizable names in the U.S. gambling industry. 

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians gives Caesars a chance to expand their North Carolina reach and take advantage of what is expected to be a brisk North Carolina market ahead of March Madness.

The Eastern Band also benefits in the form of a rock-solid relationship with one of the most trusted names in gambling on North American soil. As EBCI Principal Chief Richard Sneed said, "Many of the surrounding states have already taken steps to allow mobile sports betting, and we are pleased that this bipartisan law is putting North Carolina on an equal footing.”

“We are excited for this new venture with Caesars Entertainment and the enhancements it provides to our Tribal enterprise,” said Michell Hicks, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. “We look forward to the continued opportunities that will benefit the future of our membership.”

Neither entity will be required to front the $1 million licensing fee in the state. North Carolina law saw to it that its tribes and its partners were exempt from that one-time fee.

North Carolina market at a glance

Eight North Carolina sports betting sites have now been confirmed to have gained licenses in the state ahead of the March 11 launch. Underdog Sports fulfilled their partnership requirement last week with a partnership announcement with McConnell Golf.

The up-to-date list, along with their partners are as follows:

• bet365 - Charlotte Hornets
• BetMGM - Charlotte Motor Speedway
• FanDuel - the PGA Tour
• DraftKings - NASCAR
• Caesars Sportsbook - Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
• Fanatics Betting and Gaming - Carolina Hurricanes
• PENN Sports Interactive (ESPN BET) - Quail Hollow Club 
• Underdog Sportsbook - McConnell Golf