North Carolina's sports betting market started 2026 with robust results. According to the latest data from the State Lottery Commission, the total betting amount in January reached $686.9 million, a year-on-year increase of 6.2% and a month-on-month increase of 3.2%. The gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the month was $80.3 million, up 7.8% year-on-year, with a hold percentage of 11.69%, contributing $14.5 million in taxes to the state treasury. In plain terms, the enthusiasm of bettors remains high, benefiting both operators and the fiscal situation. Extending the timeline to the first seven months of this fiscal year (July 2025 - January 2026), the statewide betting amount has already exceeded $4.5 billion, with cumulative gaming revenue of $476.5 million. Want to compare the performance of sports betting across US states? The PASA official website has compiled a detailed market data map.
First, January report card: Both volume and amount rise, with a hold rate reaching 11.69%
Main data for sports betting in North Carolina in January are as follows:
Total betting amount: $686.9 million (year-on-year +6.2%, month-on-month +3.2%)
Actual betting paid: $666.7 million
Promotional betting: $22.2 million
Canceled/invalid bets: $3.6 million
Player returns: $603 million
Gross gaming revenue (GGR): $80.3 million (year-on-year +7.8%, month-on-month -1.5%)
Hold rate: 11.69%
State tax revenue: $14.5 million
Month-on-month revenue slightly decreased by 1.5%, analysts believe this is related to the end of the NFL regular season and the reduction of popular events, but the overall growth trend remains unchanged.
Second, cumulative for the first seven months: Betting amount of $4.51 billion, revenue approaching the $500 million mark
From the start of the new fiscal year in July last year to the end of January this year, the performance of North Carolina's sports betting market is equally impressive:
•Total betting amount: $4.51 billion
Actual betting paid: $4.37 billion
Promotional betting: $140 million
Canceled/invalid bets: $25.6 million
•Player returns: $4.01 billion
•Gross gaming revenue: $476.5 million
•Cumulative hold rate: 10.56%
•Cumulative tax revenue: $85.8 million
Reaching nearly $500 million in revenue in just seven months, for a state that has only opened online sports betting for just over two years, the growth rate is quite significant.
Third, competition among eight platforms, tribal casinos exclusively enjoy the retail pie
Currently, North Carolina has 8 licensed online sports betting platforms, and the State Lottery Commission does not disclose individual operator data. Retail sports betting is only conducted within tribal casinos, and the state government does not tax this income—this is a regulatory arrangement distinctly different from most other states. Due to tribal sovereignty, this market segment, although not included in state finances, brings local employment and consumption increases.
With major events like the NCAA "March Madness" and the new NFL season unfolding in 2026, the North Carolina sports betting market is expected to break the $6 billion betting amount threshold within the year.
————
This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel: https://t.me/pasa_news
Original deep gambling channel: https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
