North Carolina sports betting began this week with a smashing success, according to the popular sportsbook BetMGM. Based on the history of sports betting in North Carolina, the first-ever bet was placed this week with a $100 bet to claim a prize of $1800 for winning the NCAA tournament.
In the last 24 hours, North Carolina witnessed almost 50% of the betting population wagering on Tar Heels to bag home a massive cash prize by winning the NCAA tournament. Around 10% of the players bet on the University of Connecticut, while 8% wagered on the University of Houston. Winners of the bet will receive tickets to the NCAA tournaments.
Players have already started to plan for the next Super Bowl in 2025 and are planning to compete for the prized tickets to the Super Bowl. Around 14% of players will be wagering on the Steelers, while 10% each on the Eagles and the Chiefs.
Based on BetMGM’s analysis, around 8.3% of the players have put up their money on the Carolina Panthers, the home team, showing their true dedication since, currently, the Panthers have the longest winning odds at the Super Bowl.
Online and mobile sports betting across North Carolina started on Monday as multiple licensed gaming operators started to take bets nine months after the jurisdiction authorized betting activities statewide and made them legal. A few top sports betting sites and operators, including the big names in the ever-expansive field of authorized and legalized gambling, held significant events to unveil the new betting options in the ninth-largest state of the nation.
According to the American Gaming Association, this made North Carolina the 30th State to offer online and mobile sports betting. Registered players within the borders of the states can now wager on Olympic-style, college, or professional sports.
According to the Chief Commercial Officer of DraftKings, Jeremy Elbaum, North Carolina has been working for years to get started with sports betting and show their love for college, NASCAR, and other major sports. In 2023, the State Lottery Commission of North Carolina passed a law authorizing sports betting sites and getting them licensed to offer legalized betting options on computers and mobile devices.
Government Roy Cooper also signed the betting bill that the General Assembly approved into law, stating that he placed a bet on the Carolina Hurricanes during the NHL to win the Stanley Cup in 2024. He also mentioned that if he wins the bet, his monetary winnings would be given to the team’s charitable foundation. Cooper claimed in a video that was pre-film before Monday’s announcement that the legalization of North Carolina’s sports betting will substantially boost the economy and enable the thriving sports betting industry to grow.
