The start of the 2025 NFL season contributed to a 19.2% surge in sports bets to $686.1 million in September, the N.C. Lottery Commission reported Wednesday.
September set — by just more than $1.1 million — the monthly record for sports wagering since it became available in North Carolina on March 11, 2024.
The previous record was the $685 million wagered during March 2025 on NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament games.
The September numbers are the first apples-to-apples comparison of betting interest in a full month of NFL and college football since sports wagering debuted in N.C. on March 11, 2024.
The commission tracks sports wagering based on the state fiscal year of July 1 to June 30. It discloses the monthly report without comment.
Account holders bet $654.1 million during September, while there was just under $32 million listed as promotional revenue from the eight licensed sportsbooks designed to entice potential first-time wagers.
Meanwhile, bettors won $615.1 million. Gross wagering revenue to the sportsbooks was $66.8 million, while the estimated tax proceeds were $12.02 million.
Since the start of legalized mobile sports wagering, state residents have won just more than $9.45 billion through Sept. 30.
Meanwhile, bettors have spent $10.38 billion on wagers.
Industry analysts project that overall monthly betting totals are likely to ebb and flow with the annual sports calendar.
“North Carolina bettors turned out in full force this September, pushing the handle to more than $686 million — a massive 43% jump from August,” BetCarolina.com analyst Steve Bittenbender said.
“With the Panthers back on the field and college football Saturdays buzzing from Chapel Hill to Raleigh, the Tar Heel State is proving it can hang with the nation’s top betting markets.
“With basketball season on deck, the state’s numbers should climb even higher.”
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Supporters of legal betting, particularly bipartisan legislative sponsors, envisioned the revenue generated serving as a modest supplement to the state’s General Fund to help offset recent annual reductions in the corporate and individual income taxes.
Legislative analysis of House Bill 347, which authorized sports wagering, projected about $40 million in 2024 annual tax revenue and more than $100 million annually by 2029.
However, the total to date has been $193.1 million, according to the N.C. Revenue Department. That includes $116.6 million for fiscal 2024-25 and $25.8 million so far in fiscal 2025-26.
The eight sportsbooks operating in N.C. are: Betfair Interactive; BetMGM; Crown NC Gaming; FBG Enterprises Opco; Hillside (North Carolina); Penn Sports Interactive doing business as ESPN Bet; Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise, an enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; and Underdog Sports Wagering.
Bittenbender said it’s realistic for North Carolina to experience between 10% and 15% annual growth in the short term, although a potential state and/or national economic downturn could leave bettors with less money to wager.
“Sportsbook revenue climbed to nearly $67 million in September, showing that enthusiasm for football isn’t just about fandom — it’s fueling a thriving sports economy across North Carolina,” Bittenbender said.
“Every touchdown and rivalry game is turning into big business for the state’s operators.”
UNC System benefits
The more fans of the Tar Heels, Wolfpack, Mountaineers, Pirates, Rams, Aggies and Spartans bet on mobile sports wagering sites, the higher the potential allocation to their respective athletic departments.
The expectations were modest for the first 12-month period of at least a $300,000 commitment to all UNC System athletic departments outside UNC Chapel Hill and N.C. State.
Since the start of legalized mobile sports wagering in N.C., there has been $36.86 million in tax proceeds provided, or $2.95 million each.
That’s broken down to $821,206 in fiscal 2023-24, $2.01 million in fiscal 2024-25 and $467,287 so far in fiscal 2025-26.
The most prominent example to date involves Appalachian State, which is using its allocation to help pay for a $25 million on-campus indoor practice facility.
The UNC Board of Governors on Nov. 13 approved ASU’s funding proposal for the 85,000-square-foot facility, of which $3.3 million, or 13%, comes from the sports wagering allocation.
The new facility is replacing the current Sofield Family indoor practice facility and the nearby softball field. Construction began in August and will take up to 18 months to complete.
rcraver@wsjournal.com
336-727-7376
@rcraverWSJ
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