• Loading stock data...
Thursday, April 24, 2025

11 Million Bettors Up for Grabs: N.C. Launches Mobile Sports Betting

  • Mobile sports betting launches Monday in North Carolina.
  • This is the biggest state yet to go live since ESPN Bet’s November release.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Selection Sunday is just six days away, with a bevy of conference basketball tournaments this week inching us closer to March Madness. Last year an estimated $15.5 billion was wagered on the men’s NCAA tournament, according to the American Gaming Association. 

That gargantuan number should only grow this year. Since the UConn men’s team cut down the nets last April, several more states have launched mobile sports betting, and, Monday, nearly 11 million more people in North Carolina will be allowed to try their luck as legal sports wagering goes live in the Tar Heel State. While that’s certainly welcome news for Duke and UNC fans hoping to cash in on potential Final Four runs, the debut also greenlights the biggest test yet for perhaps the most intriguing sportsbook challenger to the U.S. duopoly of DraftKings and FanDuel.

Worldwide Leader?

ESPN Bet has a stated goal of eventually reaching 20% market share but has been playing catchup since its November launch, faced with the tall task of converting existing customers from rival sportsbooks. Some recent data shows ESPN Bet has plenty of work to do. Research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming provided Front Office Sports with a report that estimates the national market share for December to be:

  • FanDuel: 41.32%
  • DraftKings: 32.54%
  • BetMGM/Borgata: 6.34%
  • Caesars/William Hill: 4.94%
  • ESPN Bet: 4.68%

But in North Carolina the fledgling app, which was born out of a $2 billion partnership with Penn Entertainment, will get its fairest fight so far, as it—along with the likes of DraftKings, FanDuel, and others—simultaneously looks to secure potentially millions of first-time bettors in the state with sign-up bonuses worth hundreds of dollars. “Everyone’s going to be looking at North Carolina to see how they perform,” says Robert Linnehan, a sports betting regulation expert for XL Media’s gambling-focused websites. “If they’re not top three, I think they’d be very disappointed.”

Penn is making an aggressive push to woo N.C. bettors, including advertising for the launch on ESPN’s First Take and Get Up, in addition to sending the network’s $12 million man Stephen A. Smith to a fan event at a Charlotte pickleball bar and entertainment center later this week. But the duopoly is making sure North Carolina feels its presence, too. Last week, FanDuel teamed up with the Panthers, becoming their official sports betting partner and sending star TV host Kay Adams to Charlotte to broadcast her morning show live from Bank of America Stadium. DraftKings, meanwhile, signed up Panthers legend and Fox NFL analyst Greg Olsen to place the ceremonial first bet.

An Uphill Battle

While North Carolina’s launch will be an interesting test case in some regards, ESPN Bet will still have its hands full. “It’s not like everyone is starting at the same point in North Carolina either,” says sports betting investor Chris Grove, pointing to popular daily fantasy products that have been running in the state for nearly a decade. 

“Those head-start advantages that DraftKings and FanDuel enjoy are still meaningful,” adds Grove, who is also a partner at the aforementioned EKG. “And that is probably going to translate to a very big preregistration edge. And, as a result, I don’t know that we’re really going to see a tremendously different distribution of market share.”

As Grove also points out, ESPN Bet is a long-term play—Disney and Penn do have a 10-year deal in place. But once wagering results come in from March Madness, it will be impossible not to look at how ESPN Bet did in this new market and maybe make an early conclusion or two.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Apr 14, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; a general view of the stadium during a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Rays See Sharp Attendance Drop in Temporary Home Amid Uncertainty

Some amenities are praised, but home attendance drops at the temporary site.
Apr 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) during the third quarter of game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.

Kalshi’s Offensive Blitz Continues With Suit Against Maryland

Kalshi previously sued regulators in Nevada and New Jersey.

NFL Draft Hosts: D.C., Denver, Buffalo Among Future Contenders

Pittsburgh will host in 2026, but 2027 and beyond is to be determined.
Rendering for Bridgestone Arena

Predators Unveil $650M Plan to Keep Pace With NHL’s Venue Race

The NHL team has big plans for the 28-year-old Nashville arena.

Featured Today

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after a three point basket against the Houston Cougars during the first half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome.

Cooper Flagg’s Timing Is Perfect for the NBA and USA Basketball

The projected No. 1 pick just declared for the draft.
Apr 14, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Paige Bueckers is interviewed by ESPN after being selected with the number one overall pick to the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards
April 21, 2025

ESPN’s WNBA Coverage Mirrors the League’s Stunning Growth

“I don’t think we stand still in our coverage of women’s sports,” says Rowe.
Mar 16, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates with guard Isaiah Joe (11) after score in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
April 20, 2025

Unorthodox OKC: The Thunder Redefined Tanking to Become NBA’s Best

A rebuild years in the making has OKC in the driver’s seat.
Mar 13, 2020; Augusta, GA, USA; The front entrance at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday morning. The Masters Tournament has been postponed due to coronavirus concerns.
opinion
April 20, 2025

What’s It Like to Play Augusta? A Day on the World’s Most..

Inside a round at the most exclusive club in the world.
The sun rises behind the New York skyline seen from the Jersey City waterfront on Thursday morning Dec. 10, 2020.

N.Y. Sports Betting Faces Major Limits Under New Proposal

Newly proposed legislation would impose daily betting caps and limit advertising.
April 14, 2025

Bank Says Sports Betting Could Weather Tariff Storm

Lower tax revenues could encourage more states to legalize sports betting.
April 16, 2025

Sports Prediction Markets Still Face Legal Roadblocks

The Wire Act and tribal sovereignty could be the next legal battlegrounds.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

This week, Two-time Super Bowl Champion and CBS NFL analyst Logan Ryan joins us to talk the business of sports on our third installment of Portfolio Players.
Sports gambling reached an all-time high in 2022.
April 9, 2025

Kalshi Gears Up for Legal Fight With States

Maryland followed at least five other states that have sent cease-and-desist letters.
Potawatomi Sports Book patrons the University of Wisconsin men play UCLA on Friday, March 14, 2025. The venue is open for the first time during March Madness and is expecting to be busy over the next few weeks in Milwaukee.
April 8, 2025

Kalshi Notches Legal Win in Fight With Nevada

Kalshi can keep offering its sports event contracts in Nevada—for now.
Potawatomi Sportsbook patrons watch the University of Wisconsin men play UCLA on Friday, March 14, 2025. The venue is open for the first time during March Madness and is expecting to be busy over the next few weeks in Milwaukee.
April 4, 2025

All Signs Point to Trump Admin OK’ing Kalshi’s Sports Contracts

The federal government appears ready to approve Kalshi’s sports event contracts.
April 3, 2025

Baltimore Sues DraftKings, FanDuel Over ‘Exploiting’ Gambling Addicts

The suit cites steps the companies took in the U.K.