Deal with Quail Hollow means ESPN Bet can take wagers in North Carolina next year
Posted December 5, 2023 8:28 a.m. EST
Updated December 5, 2023 8:48 a.m. EST
ESPN Bet is now eligible to be one of the 12 operators that can take mobile sports bets when wagering goes live in North Carolina next year.
ESPN Bet partnered with Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, becoming the golf course's official betting partner and opening the door for ESPN Bet to get licensed in the state.
Operators are required to have a written designation agreement with certain teams, leagues or venues in order to apply for a license in North Carolina. The clause, which was not in the original sports wagering law, was slipped into the state budget.
Quail Hollow Club hosts the Wells Fargo Championship, an annual PGA Tour event. Quail Hollow also hosted the 2023 President's Cup between the U.S. and the International team.
It is the second entity to announce a partnership with a sports betting company. The NBA's Charlotte Hornets previously announced their partnership with Bet365.
ESPN Bet is an online sportsbook operated by PENN Entertainment. PENN previously operated the Barstool Sportsbook, but recently signed a new agreement with ESPN. ESPN Bet launched on Nov. 14. It is live in 17 states, including Virginia, Tennessee and West Virginia.
"We're thrilled to partner with Quail Hollow Club and the Wells Fargo Championship as we prepare to bring our new online sports betting brand, ESPN Bet, to North Carolina," said Benjie Levy, head of Penn Interactive, in a statement.
ESPN Bet will be the exclusive betting partner of the Wells Fargo Championship, one of eight signature events on the PGA Tour in 2024. That means a smaller field with more top players and larger prize money.
Under the law, Quail Hollow could also host an in-person sportsbook during the tournament.
"We welcome the upcoming launch of regulated online sports wagering in North Carolina and are extremely pleased to partner with a leading gaming and entertainment operator, in PENN Entertainment," said Johnny Harris, the presidnet of Quail Hollow Club, in a statement.
The written designation agreement must be with one of the following: a professional sports team, the owner or operator of a motorsports facility or a facility that hosts a professional golf tournament annually, a sports governing body that sanctions more than one NASCAR national touring race in North Carolina and a sports governing body that sanctions more than one professional golf tournament.
The North Carolina Lottery Commission, which is responsible for regulating mobile sports betting in the state, has not set a date for when betting will begin. The commission said betting won't start by January 8, the first date allowed by law, or by the Super Bowl on February 11.
The commission is now accepting applications from operators. Operators who submit their application by December 27 would be eligible to start taking bets on the commission's yet-to-be determined "go live" date.
Sports betting operators agreements in North Carolina
Charlotte Hornets (Spectrum Center, Charlotte): Bet365
Quail Hollow Club (Charlotte): ESPN Bet
