North Carolina sets third consecutive sports betting handle record in November

• November handle reached $813.97 million, surpassing October’s $811.43 million.
• Operators generated $92.93 million in revenue, second-highest since March 2024 launch.
• State collected $16.72 million in taxes as fiscal year handle exceeded $3.16 billion.

North Carolina’s sports betting market set a new handle record for the third consecutive month in November 2025, with bettors wagering $813.97 million across 8 online operators.

Record handle edges October’s mark

The North Carolina State Lottery Commission reported November’s figure narrowly eclipsed October’s $811.43 million, marking a 23.8% year-over-year increase from November 2024’s $657.7 million.

The back-to-back months above $800 million represent only the second time the state has crossed this threshold since launching online wagering on in March of 2024.

Of the total, $791.7 million came from paid wagering, with $22.3 million as promotional bets. The promotional spend of 2.74% marked the lowest percentage since August.

Strong revenue performance

Operators generated $92.93 million in GGR from an 11.4% hold percentage, the second-highest monthly total behind April 2024’s $105.3 million. Revenue jumped 18.9% year-over-year and 12.6% month-over-month.

Since launch, operators have accumulated more than $1.2 billion in gross revenue. Player winnings totalled $717.56 million, down 1.5% from October.

The state collected $16.72 million in tax revenue at its 18% rate, pushing calendar year collections past $117 million. For fiscal year 2026, cumulative handle from July through November reached $3.16 billion, generating $314.6 million in gross revenue and $56.6 million in tax proceeds.

Football and basketball drive activity

The convergence of NFL, college football and basketball seasons drove the record month. November’s 11.4% hold ranked fourth in 2025, behind June’s 13.4%, April’s 11.6%, and January’s 11.5%.

The state licenses eight operators: FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, bet365, Underdog and theScore Bet. ESPN Bet exited on 1 December, replaced by theScore Bet.

North Carolina’s 18% tax rate allocates proceeds to gambling addiction programmes ($2 million annually), youth athletics ($1 million), and collegiate athletic departments (up to $300,000 across 13 universities). The state has established itself among the top seven US markets by volume, with handle nearly doubling since May 2024.