North Carolina’s sports wagering market reached a new peak in October, with bettors placing more than $811 million in wagers — the highest monthly total recorded since mobile betting launched in the state. The latest figures from the North Carolina State Lottery Commission highlight a surge in customer activity that easily outpaced all previous months and pushed the state’s year-to-date total beyond the $2 billion threshold.
Record-Setting Surge in Player Activity
According to the commission’s monthly update, operators accepted $811.4 million in wagers during October, topping the previous record of $685 million set in March by a sizable 18.5% margin. The October handle also rose 32.6% compared to the same month in 2024 and exceeded this September’s volume by 18.3%.
Of the total wagers, $784.3 million came from paid betting, while an additional $27.1 million was distributed as promotional play. The report notes that $4.3 million in bets were cancelled or voided during the month. Players were paid $729 million in winnings, which left operators with $78.1 million in gross wagering revenue.
Even with its strong performance, October did not surpass the all-time monthly revenue record of $105.3 million set in April 2024, finishing 25.8% below that peak. October’s hold rate — the proportion of wagers retained as revenue — landed at 11.4%. Tax receipts from sports betting totaled $14.1 million for the month.
Strong FY Year-to-Date Results Across Operators
Although the regulator does not report operator-level performance, it did release cumulative data for the financial year covering July through October. During the four-month span, bettors wagered $2.35 billion in total, with $2.26 billion generated through paid bets and $82.8 million from promotional credits.
Across the same period, operators cancelled or voided $15.5 million in bets, and players collected $2.11 billion in winnings. Gross wagering revenue reached $221.7 million, representing a 9.45% hold. Tax revenue for the state climbed to nearly $40 million.
Major national operators — including FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics, ESPN Bet, Bet365, and BetMGM — remain active in North Carolina’s growing market, which continues to establish itself as one of the fastest-expanding sports betting jurisdictions in the U.S.
October Tops All FY 2026 Monthly Benchmarks
The commission’s fiscal-year breakdown shows October outperforming every earlier month in FY 2026. Paid wagering climbed from $361.5 million in July to nearly $784.3 million by October. Promotional betting also remained high, with operators offering over $27 million in credits during October alone.
Monthly winnings paid to players increased in tandem with betting activity, rising from $344.6 million in July to nearly $729 million by October. Meanwhile, tax contributions expanded each month, from $4.1 million in July to $14.1 million in October.
Taken together, the data underscores a market with sustained momentum and rising engagement as North Carolina moves deeper into its first full year of legal sports betting.
Source:
“North Carolina sets $811.4 million sports betting handle record in October”, ncgaming.gov, November 2025
The post North Carolina Breaks Monthly Record With $811M Betting Handle first appeared on RealMoneyAction.com.