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Fanatics Gains Sports Betting Access in North Carolina Thanks to Deal With Hurricanes

Davis Isabela

Updated on: January 12, 2024 at 11:36 AM EST • Read time: 2 minutes and 12 seconds. Find more information on Twitter and Google News.

Carolina Hurricanes Storm Crew waves a flag during the third period of a game, and the team has officially partnered with Fanatics Underscoreg.
Carolina Hurricanes Storm Crew waves a flag during the third period of a game. Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images via AFP.

Fanatics Betting and Gaming recently partnered with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, making it the second-to-last out of the seven licensed North Carolina sports betting apps to sign a required agreement with a sports venue, team, or league.

Legal sports betting in North Carolina has not yet been given a specific launch date. The North Carolina Lottery Commission and its selected list of potential sports betting apps are currently working to meet all regulatory requirements so they can be ready to go live when the platform is expected to launch, possibly in March.

Partnership agreements are a mandatory component of North Carolina’s legal regulations.

Fanatics Betting and Gaming CBO Ari Borod expressed excitement about collaborating with a highly skilled professional sports organization that excels in growing a sports business through competitive performance on the ice. Borod looks forward to partnering with the organization to deliver a sports betting product that meets the high expectations of the passionate fanbase in North Carolina.

More on the deal

The partnership between Fanatics Underscoreg and the Carolina Hurricanes is described as a long-term agreement, with the popular sportsbook becoming the official sports betting partner of the NHL club.

The partnership with Fanatics provides access to a potentially lucrative North Carolina sports betting market and the opportunity to be the first to establish a retail sports betting facility at PNC Arena.

Fanatics will have numerous marketing opportunities through its partnership with the Hurricanes, including prominent signage at the team’s arena, exposure on all Carolina broadcasts (television and radio), and participation in the Hurricanes’ social media activities.

The Hurricanes have acquired a valuable resource with Fanatics’ expertise in increasing fan involvement. This new partnership will allow fans to participate in targeted promotions and contests specifically tailored for them.

“Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell expressed excitement in welcoming Fanatics as the team’s Official Sports Betting Partner. Fanatics Underscoreg will provide a user-friendly platform for North Carolinians to engage in responsible sports betting, and we are honored to collaborate with them on this initiative.”

North Carolina sports betting sites

As previously stated, Fanatics is among the final seven sportsbook licensees from the initial group of successful applicants in the state to establish a required partnership with a North Carolina sports organization.

They include:

The only thing left to complete the lineup of operators for a potential March launch is an agreement between Underdog and Underscoreg. Underdog has already secured a license in the state, but still needs to finalize a partnership deal with one of the state’s teams or sporting venues.

North Carolina is expected to be a competitive market with top sports betting sites. Fanatics aims to compete with FanDuel and DraftKings, who currently dominate 75% of the national market share.

Fanatics has been busy

Since acquiring PointsBet’s U.S. operations for $225 million last summer, Fanatics Underscoreg has been actively expanding its presence. The sportsbook is currently operating in 10 states (Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia) and has plans to enter at least four more states by the end of the year.

Just last month, the company finalized a partnership agreement with the Connecticut Lottery Corporation to introduce retail and online sports betting in the state. On January 11, Fanatics became one of three sportsbooks to launch in Vermont. In the last 30 days, North Carolina has secured three market access deals.

Fanatics and its leadership still have work to do, but the company appears to be on the right track to establish itself as a key player in the competitive market.

Written By:
Davis Isabela
Davis Isabela is the Editor-in-Chief of Underscoreg Review. He has been a writer, reporter and editor for more than 20 years, and his work has appeared in more than 200 publications across North America. His first book, “100 Greatest Canadian Sports Moments”, was a hardcover best-seller in Canada in 2008. He has written more than 50 sportsbook reviews and dozens of other sportsbook-related content articles. James has also been quoted as a sports betting expert in USA Today and Sports Illustrated.