XLMedia continues to sign partnerships in advance of the launch of North Carolina sports betting. Two weeks after announcing a strategic partnership with North Carolina news outlet WRAL, the group announced a partnership with the Georgia newspaper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“We are delighted to partner with Atlanta Journal-Constitution, an exceptional and well-established brand in digital publishing and news reporting. This deal positions us well to drive new revenue in legal Southern states such as Kentucky and North Carolina whist also enabling us to reach Georgia’s large sports fan base if sports betting is legalized,” said XLMedia CEO David King. “In line with our strategy, this partnership accelerates our efforts to expand our North America footprint in key current and future markets to capitalize on the US’s growing sports betting market.”
While Kentucky does not border Georgia, North Carolina does share a small border with Georgia and its tribal casinos in Cherokee have regularly drawn customers from Atlanta. The AJC also has an audience that extends beyond the state and can potentially be leveraged in states where sports betting is already legal.
The deal is for three years, which may give time to take advantage of North Carolina launch but may not be enough time for Georgia to legalize gambling expansion.
Georgia, meanwhile, is a state that has struggled to legalize sports betting, casinos, or any form of gambling expansion. There are questions regarding whether or not legalizing sports betting would require a constitutional amendment and, in turn, a voter referendum, or it can be done with the simple passage of a bill.
In 2023, there was not consensus on the issue, so in 2024 there is potential to once again see different versions of gambling expansion bills with some offering a voter referendum and others not.
