Underdog seals North Carolina market access as state’s mobile betting launch nears

Underdog has penned market-access agreement for North Carolina with McConnell Golf as the operator prepares to launch its first sports betting product in a pivot from its fantasy sports core.

McConnell Golf operates Sedgefield Country Club, a private club located in Greensboro that hosts the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship.

Regulations in the Tar Heel State require online operators to partner with an in-state sports franchise, motorsport entity or golf body to gain access to the market.

Underdog is one of nine operators to have submitted license applications to the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, with the state Governor Roy Cooper, who signed HB 347 into law last June, predicting that the market will launch in time for March Madness.

Under North Carolina’s sports betting regulations, mobile sports betting must go live before mid-June.

Significantly, North Carolina would mark the first state that Underdog will release its yet-to-be-seen sports betting product in.

The company is live in 33 states with its fantasy sports products, including the country’s most populous states of California and Texas, both of which have yet to legalize sports betting.

Underdog, which has come under regulatory scrutiny in certain states for its against-the-house pick’em-style DFS games, recently rolled out peer-to-peer pick’em contests.

Jeremy Levine, founder and co-CEO of Underdog Sports, said: “Underdog is thrilled to launch our betting games in North Carolina in partnership with McConnell Golf. 

“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.”

Christian Anastasiadis, McConnel Golf COO, commented: “Underdog is the fastest-growing fantasy sports company ever; that is impressive. We too believe in thinking differently and challenging the status quo and there is a lot of star power behind the Underdog Fantasy app. I truly believe we found the right partner.”

Elsewhere, Fanatics Betting and Gaming and BetMGM also recently announced deals which will allow the pair to enter North Carolina, subject to license application approval.

Fanatics sealed a partnership with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, while BetMGM has struck an agreement with Charlotte Motor Speedway.

North Carolina is poised to become the 31^st US jurisdiction with legal mobile sports betting available. Retail sports betting already operates at the state’s three tribal casino properties.