Best North Carolina Betting Sites and Apps

As of March 11, 2024, North Carolina online sportsbooks are now taking your bets. The Old North State has some of the finest online sportsbooks in the country, including the likes of BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel.

When Governor Roy Cooper signed HB 347 into law in 2023, the legalization of sports betting was set into motion. The state allows you to place bets on practically all sports events, including college sports tournaments such as the NCAAF and March Madness. With that in mind, let’s take a further look at which sportsbooks you can sign up for and what they have to offer.

Gaming at NC Sweepstakes Casinos

Online sports betting is legal in North Carolina, however, the state has yet to sign a House Bill to legalize online casinos. Fear not though, as you can still play online casino games at Sweepstakes Casinos. Instead of using real money though, you will have to use the virtual currencies of these casinos.

The NC Sweepstakes Casinos are free to sign up at and you don’t need to spend real money to play at them. You can also win prizes with real monetary value at them. Once you sign up at a Sweepstakes Casino, you will receive a welcome bundle of Gold Coins. These coins can be used to play the slots and table games at the casinos. You can receive more coins through daily login bonuses and recurring weekly bundle offers, but this varies between each casino. If you want to receive more instantly, you can make real money purchases to buy more Gold Coins.

Then, there are the Sweepstakes Coins, or Sweeps Coins, which are token currencies that can be redeemed for real money prizes. These coins cannot be won through gameplay, but you can get them through tournaments, special promotions, and in some cases, they may be offered with Gold Coin bundles that you can purchase.

In terms of games, Sweepstakes Casinos offer most of the same slots titles and table games that you can find at regular online casinos. The game portfolios vary between each Sweepstake Casino, but you can check out the very best North Carolina Sweepstakes Casinos below.

History of Sports Betting in North Carolina

North Carolina became the second Southeastern state to legalize online sports betting, after Tennessee, when House Bill 347 was signed into law in 2023. Sports betting at retail locations has been legal in the Tar Heel state since 2019, but there are only three retail locations in the state to place your bets. The introduction of online sports betting is set to revolutionize the sports betting scene in North Carolina, and bettors can take their pick from some awesome sportsbooks.

So how does it work? In North Carolina, sports betting platforms must partner with a North Carolina sports organization to obtain an operator license. Caesars Sportsbook is currently the only sportsbook to operate with a service provider license, allowing the sportsbook to offer retail sports betting locations in addition to its online sportsbook.

If you live in North Carolina and are 21 years old or older, you can sign up at a sportsbook and start betting today. Notice that there are some sports organizations without any attached sportsbooks. This means that there is a possibility for even more sportsbooks to partner with NC sports organizations and open up shop in North Carolina.

Sports Betting Tax in North Carolina

This part is quite important. If you are a sports bettor and make some profit, you will need to declare it and pay some tax on your winnings. Fortunately, the sports betting tax in North Carolina is only 5.25%. Though you will also have to pay Federal Tax on your winnings. For more information about Federal Tax, you can use our Gambling Tax Calculator tool, and work out how much you owe.

The sportsbook operators have to pay tax as well. Each licensee must pay $1 million in fees across five years and 18% tax on their winnings.

Sports Betting in North Carolina Neighbor States

There are not many Southeastern States that offer online sports betting, so Tar Heel sports bettors can consider themselves quite lucky. Besides North Carolina, you can place online sports bets in Tennessee. If you travel further up North, you can go to Kentucky, West Virginia and West Virginia. The neighboring states of Tennessee and Virginia have mostly the same offering of sportsbooks as North Carolina.

Tennessee Sports Betting

Sports betting has been legal in Tennessee since 2020. The sports betting scene in Tennessee is already well established, with the likes of BetMGM, FanDuel, Caesars and DraftKings dominating the market.

• BetMGM
• Caesars
• FanDuel
• DraftKings

Tennessee does not tax you for your sports betting winnings, so you will only have to pay Federal Tax.

Virginia Sports Betting

Sports betting was legalized in Virginia in 2021 January, and has the same offering as Tennessee. You can join BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars or FanDuel. The state can license up to 12 sportsbooks, so we may see some more join the mix, but the offering is already quite substantial.

• BetMGM
• Caesars
• FanDuel
• DraftKings

Sports betting tax in Virginia ranges from 2% up to 5.75%, depending on how much you win.

Most Popular Sports in North Carolina

North Carolina has a riveting sports scene, with three major league professional sports teams. There are also professional soccer teams to keep an eye on, and the state has some world-famous golf courses. North Carolina is one of the major centers of motorsports in the US, with more than 80% of NASCAR racing teams and related industries hailing from the Tar Heel State. Stock car racing is the official sport of North Carolina. The sports scene also extends to college sports, with numerous North Carolina Universities fielding basketball and football varsity teams.

Football

Football is popular at all levels in North Carolina. The Tar Heel state is represented in the NFL by the Carolina Panthers, who play at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Panthers have yet to win a Super Bowl; the closest they came was when they won the NFC Championships in 2003 and 2015. The team joined the NFL in the 1995 expansion and plays in the South West Division against the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The games against their fellow division members are always heated and packed with action. Mark the games between the Panthers and the Falcons or the Buccaneers in your diary, as they are must watch games that promise lots of drama and excitement.

As sports betting extends to college sports in NC, you will have plenty of opportunities to support local college teams. In North Carolina, there are 7 top college football teams, all of which play in the highest level: the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. As a football fan, you can take advantage of the massive volume of college football prop bets and their lengthy odds.

Basketball

Basketball also has a considerable following in North Carolina. The Charlotte Hornets joined the NBA in 1988 and play in the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference. The team faces fierce opponents in its division: Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks and the Washington Wizards. The Hornets played in the NBA until 2002 when the franchise moved to New Orleans, and a new team was launched in Charlotte: The Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats played in the NBA until 2014 when they rebranded to the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets play their home games at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Though they may not be a top team in the NBA, they occasionally make it to the playoffs and can sometimes cause dramatic upsets to major favorites.

College basketball teams are far more successful than their professional counterpart in North Carolina. Instead of having mid-table teams, North Carolina is home to some of the best college teams. The rivalry between North Carolina and Duke is legendary and has been voted as the Hottest Rivalry in Sports Illustrated. College basketball rivalries can reach boiling point in North Carolina. The four-way rivalry between North Carolina, Duke, Tar Heels and Wake Forest is called the Tobacco Road, and games between any of the four are a must for any basketball-lovers. During March Madness, you can expect lots of great basketball betting props and futures on these teams.

Soccer

In 2017, the first North Carolina soccer team was launched. North Carolina Courage is a women’s soccer team, based in Cary, North Carolina. The team won the NWSL Playoffs in 2018 and 2019, with striker Lynn Williams leading the goalscoring charts between 2017 and 2019. The team also competes in the NWSL Challenge Cup, and won it in 2022 and 2023. Managed by Sean Nahas, the main player to look out for in North Carolina Courage is Brazilian forward Kerolin, who scored 10 goals in 2023 and was named NWSL MVP.

Charlotte FC is the men’s equivalent of NC Courage, and joined the MLS in the expansion franchise in 2019. The team started playing in the MLS in the 2022 season, and though they have not won any silverware yet, they are on their way to the top. Charlotte FC has some extremely passionate supporters, who perform “the Poznan” a Polish supporters dance, prior to every game kick off. You will find no shortage of soccer props and player bets on Charlotte FC at any NC online sportsbook, to help fuel the excitement.

Hockey

Based in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes represent North Carolina in the NHL. The team play their home games in the PNC Arena and have been around since 1972, though they only became the Carolina Hurricanes in a 1997 rebranding. The Hurricanes have won 1 Stanley Cup to date, and won the Eastern Conference Championships twice. They play in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, against the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

If you want top quality NHL games, then your best bet is to watch the Hurricanes facing the Capitals. There are plenty of top quality hockey bets and bonuses to be had at our top North Carolina sportsbooks, and you can follow every game from beginning to end with some exceptional live bets.

Motorsports

North Carolina has some of the most well known racetracks in the country, including the Charlotte Motor Speedway, which is considered the home of NASCAR. The Coca-Cola 600 and Bank of America Roval 400 are two major NASCAR events that take place at the Charlotte Speedway, which can host up to 95,000 people. Then, you can also find other major racing events at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, Rockingham Speedway and the brand-new zMax Dragway. Though motorsports are considered a “niche sport” at most sportsbooks, you can still find futures and racing bets on big events such as the NASCAR Cup Races, INDYCAR Championship, NASCAR Xfinity, NASCAR Truck Series, and Formula One Championship, among other major motorsport competitions.

How to Register at a North Carolina Sports Betting Site

Registering at any North Carolina sports betting sites is a simple and straightforward process. As these sites are all registered and legal, they need to comply with the KYC policy, meaning you must verify your account. You can find out more about what that entails in our complete guide to registering at a sportsbook.

Sign Up Guide to NC Sportsbooks

NC Betting Types

Betting at top sportsbooks such as FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, or BetMGM, you will find ample opportunities to make money out of your sports predictions. These sportsbooks are extremely well-stocked, providing bettors with all the betting markets and features they can possibly need.

But let’s start at the beginning. If you have never placed a sports bet before, then the best place to start is with the basic trio: moneylines, totals and point spreads.

• Moneylines
• Total Points
• Spreads

With moneylines, you bet on the result of a game, such as the Charlotte Hornets beating the Miami Heat. Point spreads level the playing field between the two teams, so let’s say the Hornets are the favorites, they may have a spread of -5.5. To win a point spread, you would need the Hornets to beat the Miami Heat by 6 points or more. Totals bets do not relate to the outcome of the game, but instead to how many points both teams will score during the game.

There are loads of other bets to explore, such as halves, game props and player bets. If you are curious as to what aspects of each game or competition you can bet on, head over to our ultimate betting guide. There, we analyze the different types of betting markets and strategies that you can try out for each sport.

Master Guide to Online Betting

Start Your Betting Adventures Right

Betting can bring immeasurable pleasure and amplify the thrills of watching your favorite sports. If you have a deep knowledge of your top sport and a keen eye, you can make bank on your predictions and reel in some great profits.

Though you must be prepared for some losses too, and there may be times when you lose more than you win. By making a budget and keeping track of your net gain or losses, you can find out which bets work better for you and where to focus your energy when forming your next wagers.

Test Your Budget

You don’t need to spend a fortune to bet at any of the North Carolina sportsbooks on our list. DraftKings accepts deposits as low as $5, and at the other sportsbooks you can make deposits of $10, and start betting straight away.

Newcomers are strongly recommended to start low, and even set spending limits to ensure they don’t end up pumping in too much money into their sports betting accounts. If you start to feel confident with your predictions, you can always change your limits and top up your account with more money.

Maximize Bonus Offers

Some deposit bonuses, such as DraftKings or BetMGM’s welcome offers, can vary in size. The bigger your deposit, the larger the bonus. Therefore, it is always better to plan ahead and max out these offers, which can then go straight away into your sports betting, and hopefully, you can win a massive sum of money. Whenever you see an offer, always check the terms and conditions, and if it works for you, then snap it up quickly.

We say quickly because a lot of offers may have limited availability, or, the bonuses that you redeem may only be offered for a short period of time.

Study the Field

College basketball and football does not only draw the big crowds in North Carolina, but it is also a paradise for some bettors. There are sports fans who only bet on college sports, as they find the results tend to be slightly more predictable than professional leagues.

Whichever sport and level you end up betting on, be sure to read through the statistical data and historical information of each team to help form your wagers. The North Carolina betting sites such as DraftKings and Caesars provide some info to give you some background to each team, and if you are betting live, you can use their Game Trackers to analyze the in-game statistics.

Try New Bets

While point spreads, totals and moneylines are the most commonly placed bets in the USA, we recommend sports bettors to explore all the betting markets to increase their edge over the house. The bigger you cast your net, the more opportunities you will find. For example, you may be better at predicting the number of corners there will be in a soccer game, or which quarter will be the highest scoring in an NBA game.