Sports betting is getting more and more popular in North Carolina.
And it shows no sign of slowing down.
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For the first time since the March 2024 launch of legal sports betting in North Carolina, bettors wagered more than $700 million in paid bets and more than $800 million in total bets, including free and promotional wagers, in a single month.
In October, bettors wagered more than $784 million in paid bets, more than $100 million more than the previous high of $667 million set in March 2025. The total wagering total, which includes free and promotional wagers offered by the operators, eclipsed $811 million, far exceeding the previous high of $685 million in March 2025.
North Carolina doesn’t provide data on which sports or events were bet on, but October offered something for nearly every sports fan with a thrilling seven-game World Series in baseball, the heart of the NFL and college football seasons and the beginning of the regular seasons in the NBA and NHL.
Bettors were paid almost $729 million in winnings, the highest total since launch.
The total amount spent on paid wagers in October 2025 was up by more than a third from October 2024.
The operators paid $14 million in taxes, the second-highest figure since launch. North Carolina has collected more than $205 million in taxes from the sports betting operators since launch. The state levies an 18% tax on gross wagering revenue. The state Senate passed a budget that would have doubled the rate to 36%, but that hasn’t been adopted. The House budget kept the rate at 18%.
Sports betting scandals have hit the NBA, Major League Baseball and college basketball in recent months with federal indictments and suspensions ensnaring several high-profile coaches and players.
PENN Entertainment is one of eight license holders in North Carolina. It has been operating under ESPN BET since launch in the state, but next month it will rebrand to theScore Bet. All ESPN BET accounts will be transferred to theScore Bet.
