Hornets partners with online gambling firm as NC start for sports wagering gets closer
The Charlotte Hornets announced a partnership with bet365 on Friday to make the online gambling company the official mobile betting outlet for the team.
It came five months after Gov. Roy Cooper signed a sports wagering bill into law at the Hornets’ home in the Spectrum Center in June. The Hornets began looking for a partner soon after Cooper signed the bill, said Hornets chief revenue officer Jacob Gallagher, in a news release.
The partnership will become official after bet365 becomes licensed to operate in North Carolina. The state’s online sports betting bill is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 8.
Fans can expect to see bet365 branding and signage at the Spectrum Center, the Hornets website, media platforms, the Hornets mobile app and during the team’s TV and radio game broadcast.
bet365 provides in-game experiences covering 78 sports and more than 78,000 live streams reaching 90 million customers worldwide. The company employs more than 7,000 people worldwide.
Anyone age 21 or older will be able to bet on professional and college sports in North Carolina. The law permits in-person wagering at retail sportsbooks located within 1.5 miles of any of the eight professional sports facilities in the state.
They include Bank of America Stadium, Spectrum Center, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Quail Hollow in Charlotte, plus PNC Arena in Raleigh, WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Wilkesboro Speedway and Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro.
It will also permit up to 12 online sports betting sites and apps to make sports bets.
