A 178% year-over-year increase in operator gross revenue and a higher sportsbook tax rate helped North Carolina nearly double its tax revenue in July compared to the same month in 2025.
Key Takeaways
- North Carolina's sports betting handle surpassed $500 million for the 11th consecutive month.
- Operators won back 11.2% to offset some of the bettors’ June success.
- The state hauled in $14 million in tax revenue from sports betting.
The North Carolina State Lottery Commission reported on Friday that the seven online sportsbooks accepted $566.3 million in wagers during a month that included the World Cup’s knockout rounds, a 53% year-over-year spike. July marked the 11th consecutive month with a sports betting handle above $500 million.
Between the U.S. men’s national team’s defeat to Belgium and multiple matches that went the house’s way, North Carolina sports betting operators produced an 11.2% win rate, nearly double July 2025’s hold.
| N.C. Sports Betting | Handle | Revenue | YoY rev. change |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | $566,349,683 | $63,215,572 | +178% |
Tax windfall
FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Fanatics, Caesars, theScore Bet, and bet365 paid $14 million in taxes to the state in July. It was the first month under the new 23% operator tax rate, which was included in the $34-million state budget approved by the N.C. legislature and Gov. Josh Stein.
July’s tax revenue ranks just outside the state’s top five monthly totals since North Carolina launched online sports betting in March 2024 despite operator gross revenue ranking outside the top 10 monthly totals all time.
Giving it back
Tar Heel State bettors received $498.7 million in payouts in July, down more than $30 million from June when the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup run, Team USA’s World Cup group-stage success, and the Knicks’ NBA title made for a difficult month for sportsbooks.
Operators voided or canceled $4.4 million in wagers and handled $14.7 million combined in promotional bets. Promotional betting was down 22% from June but up more than 18% from July 2025.
