North Carolina sports betting: Big college action, latest promos, updates
A look at the latest North Carolina sports betting update, including major early betting activity on college basketball, latest promos and more.
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North Carolina online sports betting is off and running.
Eight licensed operators launched online sports betting in the Tar Heel State on Monday, March 11, at noon, with thousands of customers flocking to their new sportsbook apps for the first time.
Judging by early returns, customers in the state are heavily interested in betting on at least one North Carolina college basketball team.
North Carolina schools a popular bet in early going
As expected in the college basketball crazed state, North Carolina sports betting customers took the early opportunity to place quite a few futures on the UNC Tar Heels to win this week's ACC tournament and the NCAA college basketball championship.
According to a BetMGM spokesperson, within the first 24 hours of betting in North Carolina, nearly 48% of bets placed in the state on the winner of the NCAA college basketball championship were placed on UNC. Bettors do not have the same confidence for the Duke Blue Devils, as the school only received 4.2% of bets to win the championship.
The first bet in the state for BetMGM? $100 to win $1,800 on UNC to win the tournament at +1800 odds.
Bettors shared a similar confidence in the state's NFL franchise, as the Carolina Panthers were the fifth most popular team customers bet on to win next season's Super Bowl. Despite having +25000 odds to win the championship, the longest odds of any team in the NFL, 8.3% of bets were placed on the Panthers to win the Super Bowl.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, interestingly, were the most popular Super Bowl bet in the state at 14.3% of championship wagers. The Philadelphia Eagles closely followed at 10.5%.
A Caesars Sportsbook spokesperson reported that during the first 20 minutes of betting in the state a customer placed a $500 bet on the Tar Heels to win the NCAA tournament at +1600.
"North Carolina is filled with sports fans who’ve shown us how passionate they are about their teams,” said Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital, in a released statement. “The expanded launch of our Caesars Sportsbook mobile app serves as an opportunity for fans to get a little closer to the sports they love, and we look forward to providing a best-in-class mobile sports wagering experience to more North Carolinians that pays homage to the sports excellence that is engrained in the state’s history.”
NC sports betting promos switch over for launch
On March 1, the state officially opened a pre-registration period that allowed interested sports fans to download apps, get an early signup bonus and pair it with a standard launch offer. When sports betting went live Monday, that period ended. Still, major operators have entered with North Carolina sports betting promos that are aggressive in approach.
Whereas recent expansion in states like Kentucky and Massachusetts saw a variety of bonuses landed around $150 in value, many offers have come in at upwards of $250, including at DraftKings and FanDuel.
Smooth Launch for Sports Betting in North Carolina
The eight licensed operators celebrated a smooth launch in the Tar Heel State on Monday afternoon. North Carolina will likely be the only state to launch sports betting this year, so operators are paying close attention to the market and sinking millions in promos and bonuses to bolster their customer bases.
DraftKings celebrated the launch with a ceremonial first bet event at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. Representatives from from DraftKings, NASCAR and North Carolina Rep. Zack Hawkins, the author of the state's sports betting bill, shared remarks before officially opening sports betting in the state. To cap off the event, Carolina Panthers legend Greg Olsen placed a ceremonial first bet through DraftKings’ online sportsbook of $100 on Bubba Wallace to win the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
ESPN BET representatives will also celebrate the North Carolina launch with an official party this week on Friday, March 15, at Rally in Charlotte with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
"Launching ESPN BET for North Carolina fans is a pivotal moment," said Mike Morrison, Vice President of ESPN BET and ESPN Fantasy, in a press release. "This marks a significant stride forward, building on the momentum from our inaugural launch in November. Now, fans have the chance to align themselves with a sportsbook backed by the trusted ESPN brand, offering an unparalleled experience in the world of sports betting."
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