The March 11th start date was no coincidence. On the eve of the ACC men’s basketball tournament and just a week before the start of March Madness, North Carolina legal online sports betting went live. For the first time in their history, residents and visitors to the Tar Heel State can now place wagers on their favorite sportsbook apps from the comfort of their own homes. Or wherever else within the state’s borders they feel like.

This was the day North Carolina sports fans had been waiting for since Gov. Roy Cooper signed the legislation into law in March of 2023. In the end, 8 of the leading sports betting providers were ready to go. Here are the Day 1 operators in NC:

  • Bet365
  • BetMGM
  • Caesars
  • DraftKings
  • ESPN Bet
  • Fanatics
  • FanDuel
  • Underdog

The laws in North Carolina are very similar to the growing list of other states who have legal sports betting. You must be 21 or older to register an account and place bets. You cannot bet on high school or youth sports. There are some minor restrictions on certain kinds of prop bets.

Other than that the possibilities are almost endless.

North Carolina Sports Betting Options

North Carolina is well known for its love of college basketball. So that will provide an instant boost to the projected revenues, especially if one of the in-state teams can make a deep run in the Big Dance. NASCAR is also particularly popular alongside football, NBA and MLB. NHL has the local Hurricanes, while MLS is also represented by  Charlotte FC. After that you have golf, tennis, combat sports and the full array of international options.

Betting types are also largely unrestricted. The most popular are typically moneylines, spreads, over/unders, futures and props. Of course, in-play/live betting is becoming a hot commodity among bettors of late and will also be available in North Carolina.

The state will be collecting 18% tax on gross gaming revenue, which is expected to be a considerable boost to the budgetary coffers. North Carolina becomes the 6th largest state to legalize online sports betting fully.

The projections are that by the end of the year North Carolina sports fans will have wagered somewhere in the region of $6-7 billion. That will jump NC close to the top 5 biggest sports betting states.