Sports wagering volume remained strong throughout July, reaching more than $566 million in total bets. The month included several major international sporting events, including knockout-round matches from the FIFA World Cup, which helped drive betting activity.
The latest figures also extended a notable streak for the market. July became the 11th consecutive month in which North Carolina sportsbooks handled more than $500 million in wagers. That consistency suggests the state’s sports betting market has maintained significant engagement since launching online wagering in March 2024.
Despite the substantial increase in wagering activity, revenue growth outpaced handle growth by a wide margin. While the betting volume rose 53% year over year, sportsbook revenue climbed 178%, highlighting how operator performance can vary based on betting outcomes.
A key factor behind the revenue surge was the sportsbooks’ hold percentage, or the portion of wagers retained after payouts are made to winning bettors.
Operators posted an 11.2% win rate during July, nearly double the level recorded during the same month in 2025. The stronger hold came after a difficult June for operators, when several sportsbook-friendly outcomes failed to materialize and bettors enjoyed considerable success across multiple sports.
July’s results represented a reversal of that trend. While betting volume remained high, sportsbooks retained a larger share of wagers, leading to significantly improved revenue numbers across the market.
The figures illustrate how monthly sportsbook revenue can fluctuate even when betting activity remains relatively stable. Hold percentage often plays a major role in determining operator profitability and the resulting tax revenue received by states.
North Carolina also benefited from a higher tax rate on sportsbook revenue.
Earlier this year, state lawmakers approved a budget that increased the sports betting tax rate from 18% to 23%. July was the first month sportsbooks paid taxes under the new structure.
As a result, operators including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Fanatics, Caesars, bet365, and theScore Bet contributed nearly $14 million in tax revenue during the month. The additional tax rate helped increase state collections even though July did not rank among the highest revenue months in North Carolina’s sports betting history.
The change is expected to generate additional state funding moving forward, particularly during peak sports betting periods tied to football season and major sporting events.
Even with sportsbooks reporting a strong month, players still collected significant winnings.
North Carolina bettors received nearly $499 million in payouts during July. Sportsbooks also reported approximately $4.4 million in canceled or voided wagers.
Promotional betting activity remained a notable part of the market as well. Operators handled roughly $14.7 million in promotional wagers during the month. While that figure was lower than June’s total, it remained higher than the amount recorded during July 2025.
With football season approaching and wagering levels continuing to exceed half a billion dollars per month, North Carolina remains one of the more active sports betting markets in the United States. Recent results indicate that both sportsbook revenue and state tax collections could continue to benefit from sustained player engagement in the months ahead.
