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Hornets announce exclusive mobile sports betting partner

The new logo of the Charlotte Hornets is displayed on a video monitor during a halftime ceremony of an NBA basketball game between the Charlotte Bobcats and the Utah Jazz in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. The Bobcats will change their name to the Hornets next season. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

CHARLOTTE — Now that online gambling is legal in North Carolina, teams across the Tar Heel state are maneuvering the unexplored landscape with new partnerships.

The Charlotte Hornets announced an exclusive long-term partnership with bet365 to let fans gamble on games right from their phones.

This makes the NBA team the first professional sports team in North Carolina to form a partnership of this sort.

“Since the day Governor Cooper signed sports wagering into law at Spectrum Center in June, we sought a partner that would help us provide our fans with new, additional opportunities to engage with their favorite sports teams,” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment Chief Revenue Officer Jacob Gallagher.

In order to operate in North Carolina, bet365 and other betting companies must be approved for a license. To gain approval, the company must have a partnership in place.

Britain-based bet365 will be one of the NBA franchise’s seven major sponsors. The agreement takes effect immediately.


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