North Carolina Posts $200M in Handle in the First Week of Betting

The recent launch of online sports betting in North Carolina is proving to be a success. Statistics from the Tar Heel State show that almost $200 million has been wagered in the week following the launch.

The preliminary online betting figures were disclosed by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, which said that NC bettors wagered $23.9 million on March 11 when the market went live and $198.1 million in the first week of legal online betting.

For reference, $12.4 million of the launch date wagers were promotional bets, seeking to attract new customers. According to the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, players won back a whopping $12.2 million in the first 12 hours of NC online wagering.

In the meantime, players won back $141.6 million in the first week of betting. This figure resulted in a total statewide GGR of $42.7 million, the commission added.

North Carolina began the process of legalizing betting on sports in 2023 after years of only allowing wagering at three tribal casinos. The legalization also set up the groundwork for in-person wagering.  

The launch of sports betting in North Carolina came just in time for several big sporting events. Online wagering was launched just a day before the start of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and concluded its first week at the announcement of the brackets for the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments.

It Is Too Early to Make Proper Comparisons

Sterl Carpenter, a commission executive tasked with overseeing the market, commented on the matter. Carpenter pointed out that it is too early to properly compare the success of North Carolina’s betting launch to other states. Despite that, he added that NC’s launch seems, at first glance, comparable to the launch of sports betting in Massachusetts.

While Carpenter insisted that an informed comparison cannot be made yet, he expressed confidence in the results, saying that wagering in the Tar Heel State seems to be off to a good start.

Carpenter also commented on the high win rates in North Carolina, attributing players’ successful bets to the recent successes of North Carolina’s sports teams.

In the meantime, North Carolina continues to mull over the legalization of Vegas-style casino resorts. WRAL News recently contracted Survey USA to see how local voters feel about the matter. As it turns out, approximately 55% of adults support the creation of casinos in rural parts of the state, believing that it would bolster the rural economies.