In March 2026, North Carolina residents wagered more than $725 million on legal online sports betting—specifically, over $726 million—up more than 6% year over year.
Why March became the peak month for betting
The main driver of growth was March Madness, the NCAA’s annual college basketball tournament, which traditionally makes spring the busiest season for sports wagering in the U.S. Fan interest was further fueled by the North Carolina vs. Duke matchup in the regular-season finale, followed by the ACC tournament in Charlotte and the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Another driver was the start of the MLB season in March. The baseball offseason is typically followed by a wave of predictions and wagers on the first games, broadening the sports-betting audience beyond basketball fans.
Three consecutive Marches: the numbers trend
A comparison of the past three years makes it possible to trace a steady market trajectory:
- March 2026 — more than $725 million in total wagers.
- March 2025 — $685 million.
- March 2024 — $659 million; however, legal online betting only went live mid-month, and the figure was significantly boosted by more than $202 million in free bets and promotional wagers, which operators offered heavily during the launch period.
The year-over-year increase from $685 million to $726 million looks less dramatic than the first-year jump, but it indicates that the market has already moved past the promo-driven phase and is growing on organic demand.
Market size two years after legalization
Since the launch of legal betting in March 2024, the state’s total handle, including cash wagers and promotional bets, has reached $14.7 billion. Over the same period, bettors were paid out $13 billion in winnings. The difference between handle and payouts forms operators’ gross gaming revenue (GGR), from which tax liabilities are calculated.
Online casinos in North Carolina and the gray area
The legalization of sports betting brought the state a significant budget boost; however, online casinos in North Carolina remain illegal. This does not mean that the state’s players do not use virtual platforms—it means they play on offshore sites at online casinos licensed internationally. Such platforms are equally accessible in different parts of the world, including as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
Online casinos offer players a wide selection of games, and sign-up is straightforward. Player acquisition is supported by bonus offers, which are one of the main tools for attracting attention in the iGaming sector. This is supported by information we found on this site with a review of no-deposit free spins. As the number of players grows, online casinos’ profits also grow; however, these revenues bypass North Carolina’s budget and end up in the “gray” zone.
Tax revenue is rising along with the market
According to the state regulator’s estimates, in March 2026 North Carolina’s budget received roughly $13.6 million in tax revenue from sports betting. The cumulative total since legalization in March 2024 exceeded $275 million. The data are based on reports published by the state’s regulatory body responsible for sports-betting oversight.
A quarter-billion dollars in taxes over two years is a strong argument for legalization supporters; however, the question of the social cost that society pays for these revenues remains open.
WRAL’s documentary project raised tough questions
WRAL released the documentary film “The Gamble: Sports Betting in North Carolina,” which, through interviews with lawmakers, researchers, former professional athletes, and people who have faced gambling addiction, examines a dilemma that extends far beyond a single state. Do the budget benefits of legalized betting outweigh its social costs? It is a question to which no state that has opened its betting market has yet provided a definitive answer.
