North Carolina sports bettors wagered more than $5 billion in 2024, the first calendar year of legalized online sports wagering in the state.

That total includes both paid wagers ($4.9 billion) and free and promotional bets (more than $450,000) offered by the online operators since betting launched on March 11.

North Carolina reached the $5-billion total without a Super Bowl, typically the largest sports betting day of the year.

In December, more than $629.5 million was bet in the state, the second consecutive month where betting exceeded the $600-million mark in paid and total wagering. The North Carolina Lottery Commission released numbers for December on Friday.

Bettors had their best month in December, winning more than $590 million. Bettors overall still lost money. As a result, the state collected just $6.4 million in taxes, its second-lowest monthly total. The state has now collected more than $100 million in taxes from the operators.

That money is directed to a variety of places, including the athletic departments at UNC System schools that play intercollegiate athletics (except UNC and NC State), Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina Amateur Sports, North Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission, a Major Events, Games and Attractions Fund and the state’s general fund.

The Department of Commerce has not yet awarded any grants from the major events fund. But the first awards are expected to be made sometime before the end of March, said David Rhoades, a spokesman with the department.

State lawmakers passed legislation to legalize online sports betting in 2023 and then-Gov. Roy Cooper signed it into law in June of that year.

When the legislation passed, sports gambling was projected to generate less than $10 million in taxes during the fiscal year that ended June 30 and $53 million in taxes during the current fiscal year which began in July.

In the current fiscal year, the state has collected more than $55 million in taxes already. In the previous fiscal year, from March through June, the state collected more than $49 million in taxes.

Month: Total wagered (includes paid and promotional bets)

December: $629M

November: $657M

October: $589M

September: $575M

August: $370M

July: $340M

June: $398M

May: $525M

April: $648M

March: $659M

Tota: $5.3B

Source: wral.com