Driven by heavy action during the NFL playoffs and college football’s postseason, North Carolina sports bettors generated the state’s fifth consecutive $600-million monthly handle in January.
Key Takeaways
- North Carolina’s online sportsbooks surpass $80 million in gross revenue for the fourth consecutive month.
- The January handle increased by over 6%.
- Promotional spending was up 36% from the previous month.
The North Carolina State Lottery Commission reported on Monday that online sportsbooks accepted $686.92 million in wagers for the month, a 6.2% increase from January 2025.
North Carolina sports betting growth led to $80.34 million in gross revenue for operators, a 7.9% year-over-year spike from the $74.5 million produced in the previous January. Football season has been good for Tar Heel State online sports betting revenue. Sportsbooks hauled in at least $80 million in each of the last four months.
Bettors continue to struggle beating the books. January’s 11.7% hold is the sixth consecutive double-digit win rate produced in North Carolina and slightly higher than the 11.5% hold from January 2025.
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Promo spending increases
Higher profits came from a month when promotional wagering for the eight online sportsbooks reached $20.2 million in January. That’s up from the $14.8 million spent in December but down from January 2025’s $23.6 million.
Canceled/voided wagers reached $3.6 million, the highest since October 2025. Bettors won back over $700 million in October and November, but January’s total earnings were below that mark for the second consecutive month.
Filling coffers
North Carolina’s sports betting operators paid out an estimated $14.46 million, nearly matching the state’s December 2025 tax haul. North Carolina filled the state coffers with at least $12 million for a record fifth consecutive month.
The latest tax haul was nearly $1 million more than January 2025 and over $3 million more than the total average from last year. North Carolina gets an 18% cut of operators’ gross revenue before any deductions.
