Horse race betting in North Carolina could receive a jolt when and if the popular FanDuel Racing app appears in the state. The bill passed in 2023 which legalized sports betting, also permits North Carolina horse race betting under certain circumstances.
Pari-mutuel betting on horse racing using online advance deposit wagering is allowed in North Carolina. However, no major horse racing mobile application or racing-specific sportsbook has yet applied for a license in the state. North Carolina launched online sportsbooks in March.
FanDuel Racing provides races with pari-mutuel odds from more than two dozen tracks on most days at venues worldwide.
It appears that it’s not a matter of if but when FanDuel Racing will appear in North Carolina. Regulators will be issuing North Carolina horse race betting licenses soon.
“We are currently working on this but do not have a timetable on when [online pari-mutuel horse race betting] will be available,” said NC Lottery Commission Communications Director Van Denton last month.
FanDuel Racing mobile app
The FanDuel Racing app is a pari-mutuel horse race betting dashboard with race times and odds on every horse for races on dozens of tracks. North Carolina does not currently have a pari-mutuel track in-state, but horse racing lovers could still wager on races elsewhere once the odds are available.
Live-action streaming is offered within the FanDuel Racing mobile application for some races. But in most cases, updates are fed through the app to end users. FanDuel TV, or TVG, provides live video streaming of races from select tracks.
Like online sportsbooks, FanDuel Racing has promotional offers and referral bonuses. The account section lets you see your betting tickets, budget your spending, and use responsible gambling tools and resources.
How FanDuel Racing works with TVG.com
Horse racing fans are likely familiar with TVG, owned by FanDuel Sportsbook NC, and operated in a suite of products that includes FanDuel TV and FanDuel TV+. In some markets, TVG has been rebranded as FanDuel TV. The TVG name is still used for the web-based and mobile application that streams sporting events.
Subscribers to TVG, or those who receive the service in a bundled cable TV package, may be able to access programming or odds for pari-mutuel horse race betting in the future.
Will FanDuel Racing be live for the Kentucky Derby?
The May 4, 2024, running of the Kentucky Derby will likely commence without FanDuel Racing or any horserace betting site operating in North Carolina.
According to the NC State Lottery Commission, FanDuel Racing or any other entity would need to pay a license fee of $1 million for a five-year license to operate an advance deposit wagering system in the state. In addition, each licensee is required to pay one percent of the total bets placed annually to the state. The NCSLC has a registration form for an ADW license on its website.
North Carolina’s licensing fee for horse race wagering operators is the highest in the county. Ten times higher than the next highest state: New York. Rep. Jason Saine, R-Lincoln, has identified this steep fee as “a barrier to entry” for horse betting operators.
Saine admitted to reporters that horse race betting “wasn’t at the forefront” of the debate to legalize sports betting and parimutuel wagering. As such, there is speculation that the legislature could pose amendments to make it easier for horse betting sites like FanDuel Racing to enter the NC market.
The legislature is set to convene on April 24 and will run through the end of July.
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