First week of NC sports betting sees almost $200M in wagers: 'strong start'

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Legalized statewide sports wagering in North Carolina from smartphones and desktops that began two weeks ago is off to a "strong start," a state lottery official said on Wednesday, likely buoyed by betting on college basketball at its season's apex.

Preliminary monetary numbers for the first day and first week of sports wagering were presented at a meeting of the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, which was directed in last June's sports wagering law to license operators and suppliers and set rules.

Eight interactive sports wagering operators could begin taking bets at noon March 11, the day before the men's Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament began. The first week ended just after brackets for the men's and women's NCAA tournaments were released.

STATEWIDE LEGAL SPORTS BETTING UNDERWAY IN NORTH CAROLINA

By midnight March 11, over $23.9 million had been wagered, of which almost $12.4 million were "promotional wagers" — incentives for new customers offered by the companies once an initial bet is made. And bettors were paid $12.2 million in winnings during the first 12 hours, according to the commission presentation.

Nearly $200 million was wagered during the first week of legal sports betting in North Carolina. (Fox News)

Through the first week, over $198.1 million had been wagered, with $141.6 million in bet winnings paid. "Gross wagering revenue" — the base upon which the state will receive its 18% cut in taxes — was close to $42.7 million.

Sterl Carpenter, a commission executive overseeing sports gambling, said it was too early to make informed comparisons of the launch to those in other states. But he did say that