NC bets record amount on sports in September, pushes past $10B since legalization

The start of the NFL season — and another round of heavy promotions from sports betting companies – pushed betting in North Carolina to a monthly record high in the state.

Sports bettors wagered more than $686 million in total bets, a figure that includes about $32 million in promotional wagers. It is a record for North Carolina, which launched legalized online sports betting in March 2024, according to monthly reports from the North Carolina State Lottery Commission and WRAL data.

The previous record was set in March 2025 when $685 million was bet. In September, North Carolina bet $654 million in paid wagers, second only to March’s $667 million.

North Carolina has now surpassed the $10-mark in total wagers after 19 months of legalized gambling. Paid wagers are at $9.8 billion.

The NFL season kicked off with single games on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 before a full schedule on that weekend. North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick made his much-anticipated debut for the Tar Heels on Sept. 1 against TCU.

Sports bettors placed about $32 million in promotional wagers, the largest amount placing $37 million in September 2024. The sports betting operators use bonuses or promotions to attract new bettors or incentivize existing customers to bet more often. In the first six weeks after launch in 2024, sports bettors used more than $280 million in promotional wagers.

Through three months of the fiscal year, which began July 1, paid wagering revenue in North Carolina is running 21% higher than July, August and September of 2024.

North Carolina taxes at 18% the gross wagering revenue of sports betting companies, which the state calculates by subtracting the voided wagers and the amount paid as winnings from total wagering revenue. 

The state collected more than $12 million in September, far outpacing initial legislative estimates. In 10 of the 19 months since the launch, the state has collected more than $10 million in taxes – with a high of $19 million in April 2024 and a low of $4 million in July 2025.

The tax revenue is distributed to athletic departments at UNC System schools (not including NC State or North Carolina), a major events and attractions fund, the Department of Health and Human Services, two statewide youth sports organizations and the state’s general fund.

State lawmakers passed changes to the distribution formula in House and Senate budgets earlier this year. But lawmakers haven’t yet passed a budget, leaving in place the current distributions. The Senate’s budget would have doubled the tax rate to 36%, and both chambers planned to add NC State and UNC to the schools that receive money from the taxes.