ESPN Bet now has access to the North Carolina online sports betting market. The sportsbook’s operator PENN Entertainment struck an exclusive deal with the Wells Fargo Championship PGA Tour event that takes place every year at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.

This new long-term partnership will allow ESPN Bet to launch an online sportsbook once the state’s market launches and it gets regulatory approval. It will also have a presence during the tournament every May, engaging fans in a variety of ways, including the possibility of a retail betting facility at the venue.

Betting operators can partner with professional teams in the state, the owner of a motorsports facility, a venue that hosts a professional golf event each year, or certain governing bodies. Bet365 has already entered into an agreement with the Charlotte Hornets.

rollout will not take place until after the Super Bowl

The North Carolina Lottery Commission confirmed last week that the sector’s rollout will not take place until after the Super Bowl. The hope now is that online sportsbooks will be operational in time for the lucrative March Madness college basketball tournament.