Sports Betting in North Carolina Picks up Speed in October

October proved the be a busy month for licensed sports betting operators in North Carolina. Likely their performance was positively impacted by college basketball, considering the increase in revenue during last month.

Licensed Betting Operators Post Solid Results

On Tuesday, the state’s gambling regulator, the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, released details regarding the performance of betting operators in October. Since the start of the fiscal year 2025 in July, the results from last month marked a record in terms of revenue.

In total, the wagering revenue reported by licensed operators in October hit $612 million. When compared to the total wagering revenue from September, which halted at $575.4 million, an increase of more than 6% or $37 million is observed. Notably, October’s result marked the best figure in the last few months, considering that the results from July and August were $340.4 million and $370.4 million respectively.

Per the latest data, the paid wagering revenue in October soared to $589.1 million. This once again marked an increase when compared to the $538.4 million figure from September, as well as the best result for FY 2025 when compared to data from July and August.

Not unexpectedly, the increase in the total wagering revenue impacted the total amounts paid as winnings in October. The Commission’s data reveals that the amounts paid as winnings last month increased to $560.6 million, up by nearly $60 million when compared to the $501.6 million result in September.

The total gross betting revenue posted by licensed operators in October was $48.7 million. This result marked a decrease when compared to September but represented growth in comparison to both August and July. Based on the reported revenue, North Carolina collected $8,758,757 in tax revenue, a figure that pointed to a nearly $4 million decrease when compared to the prior month.

Packed Sports Schedule to Boost November, December Results

Currently North Carolina doesn’t prohibit wagers on college sports. This is likely one of the reasons why the latest results marked an uptick, considering the ongoing college football season. Still, the results from July and August aren’t surprising, considering there are traditionally fewer sports events.

After the strong results in October, interest in wagering is likely going to increase further throughout November and December. Besides the college football season, the start of the NBA, NHL, NFL and college basketball seasons are likely going to further propel wagering across the state in the upcoming months.