North Carolina Sports Betting Handle Hits $612.5 Million In April

orth Carolina sports betting kept a strong pace in April, with online sportsbooks taking more than $600 million in wagers for the seventh time in eight months.

Good to Know

• North Carolina online sports betting handle reached $612.5 million in April.
• Gross revenue hit $64.5 million, up 37.6% from April 2025.
• The state collected $11.6 million in tax revenue from operators.

North Carolina Betting Revenue Climbs Despite Lower Hold

North Carolina sportsbooks had fewer tournament advantages than last year, but bettors still placed $612.5 million through the seven licensed online operators in April 2026.

The North Carolina State Lottery Commission reported the total on Thursday. Handle rose from $576.2 million in April 2025, giving the state another month above the $600 million line.

Revenue told the stronger story. FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Fanatics, Caesars, theScore Bet, and bet365 combined for $64.5 million in gross revenue. That was the second-lowest monthly profit total of 2026, ahead of only February, yet it still ran 37.6% above the same month last year.

Operators did not get a double-digit hold. Sportsbooks kept 8.2% of all wagers, the first hold below 10% since July 2025 and the sixth-lowest win rate since legal online betting began in the Tar Heel State.

April still had enough sports inventory to keep betting volume high. MLB had a full month on the calendar, while the Masters added another major event. The NCAA Tournament also ended in early April, although no North Carolina team reached the Final Four. Duke, a top seed, lost to UConn in the Elite Eight. UConn later lost the National Championship Game to Michigan.

Even with the year-over-year handle gain, April 2026 could not match April 2024, the first full month of legal sports betting in North Carolina. That earlier month had nearly 6% more betting volume, helped by NC State reaching the Final Four and heavy promotional offers from sportsbooks.

Promotional wagering reached $18 million in April. That total fell from $20.8 million in March but topped the $14.4 million spent in February.

North Carolina also received $11.6 million from sports betting taxes in April through the 18% tax rate. That was more than $3 million above April 2025. The state has now collected over $50 million in estimated tax revenue in 2026 and more than $121 million since the fiscal year began last July.