NASCAR, Charlotte Speedway sign sports betting deals

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Charlotte Motor Speedway and BetMGM have announced a mutual agreement to offer sports betting access and NASCAR has reached a deal with DraftKings once it is legalized this year in North Carolina, both entities announced on Friday.

“We have been eagerly awaiting legal, safe, regulated online sports betting in North Carolina, a state with more than 10 million people and one of the most vibrant sports environments in the country,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. “BetMGM’s partnership with Charlotte Motor Speedway meets a great demand for entertainment from North Carolinians. Together we will deliver a premier and responsible gaming product that benefits many state agencies.”

The Speedway is located in Concord and the NASCAR season begins the first week of February. The hard deadline set by lawmakers to launch legal sports betting in North Carolina is mid-March. The Speedway’s first big race is the Coca-Cola 600 in May followed by the Bank of America ROVAL 400 in October.

“BetMGM has established itself as a signature source for sports betting with partnerships in every major league sport and with venues across the country,” said Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter. “With Charlotte Motor Speedway’s history of innovation, we wanted to move forward into this new era of sports entertainment with a progressive sportsbook. This partnership with BetMGM will bring sports fans new ways to enjoy their favorite events while expanding North Carolina’s tax base, supporting colleges, and facilitating recruitment of major events for the future.”

On Friday NASCAR also announced an exclusive partnership with DraftKings.

“DraftKings and NASCAR have collaborated closely with each other over the years, sharing a like-minded commitment to enhancing the fan experience,” said Matt Kalish, president of DraftKings North America. “We look forward to the next chapter in our journey together and offering our leading mobile sportsbook to fans in the state of North Carolina.”

Terms of each of the agreements have not yet been disclosed. North Carolina will be the 27th market for DraftKings and 29th for BetMGM.