Eight North Carolina online sportsbooks have been licensed by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, including Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics, FanDuel, and Underdog Sports.

Here’s a full rundown on which NC online sportsbooks rank highest according to our expert staff. 

North Carolina online sportsbooks started taking their first wagers on March 11. You can now create your accounts, deposit funds, and start betting right away once you do. 

Whenever you register a new account at a North Carolina online sportsbook, you should always be aware of any welcome offers. All of the top NC online sports betting sites have offers for new sign-ups. Read on for information about what you can get once you create an NC sportsbook account. 

Here’s what the best North Carolina sports betting sites are offering to new sign-ups:

See More: North Carolina Sportsbook Promos

• Best sports betting site software: FanDuel is glitch-free, solid, and easy to use, making it the best sports betting site software in the business.
• Best sports betting site for promos: BetMGM constantly rolls out promos such as bonus bets, odds boosts, contests, sweepstakes, and betting specials.
• Best sports betting site for contests: DraftKings runs a variety of free contests surrounding the biggest games of the year. You can expect more than just a free bracket challenge for March Madness in North Carolina this year.
• Best sports betting site for live betting: Bet365 offers an extensive list of live betting and live streaming options. Watching and betting have never been easier.
• Best sports betting site for odds: Caesars posts consistently competitive odds for major sports. The site can often be points better on spreads and offer lower vig on moneylines.
• Best sports betting site for bonuses: Fanatics offers daily bonus bets and opportunities to collect FanCash, which you can use to bet or purchase apparel.

Here’s a quick look at the best North Carolina sports betting sites and why these sportsbooks make that list, pending regulatory approval:

Given its incredibly smooth and dependable software, FanDuel has to be considered one of the best North Carolina sports betting sites. The software is practically glitch-free. Plus, it runs so smoothly that browsing the lines and placing bets is easy. FanDuel’s superior software is one of the big reasons it dominates in most state sports betting markets.

Use our links, and when you register at FanDuel NC, all you have to do is deposit at least $10 and make a first wager of at least $5, and you’ll get $200 in Bonus Bets.

• FanDuel North Carolina sports betting partners: Carolina Panthers and the PGA Tour
• FanDuel North Carolina welcome offer: Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets
• FanDuel promo code: None needed; click promo below
• Launch date: March 11
• FanDuel NC mobile app: Yes
• Apple iOS rating: 4.8
• Android rating: 4.7

BetMGM’s North Carolina Sportsbook runs so many lucrative promos that it has to be considered one of the best North Carolina sports betting sites. Regularly available promos include bonus bets, odds boosts, contests, sweepstakes, betting specials, and a referral program. You can hardly get a bet down at BetMGM without landing on some additional value.

Sign up for your BetMGM NC account using the bonus code PLAYSPORT and get up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if your first bet doesn’t win. These Bonus Bets expire in seven days, one new customer offer only, and there are additional terms.

• BetMGM North Carolina sports betting partner: Charlotte Motor Speedway
• BetMGM North Carolina welcome offer: Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Doesn’t Win
• BetMGM bonus code: PLAYSPORT
• Launch date: March 11
• BetMGM NC mobile app: Yes
• Apple iOS rating: 4.8
• Android rating: 4.5

Bet365 North Carolina makes our list of the best future North Carolina sports betting sites based on the strength of its live betting platform. You can stream games and bet on the action as it happens in various ways. Bet365 simply makes watching and betting easy and fun.

Use bonus code FPBNC when signing up at Bet365 NC, and you’ll be able to choose one of two welcome offers, either the “Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets” offer or the “First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000 in Bonus Bets” offer.

• Bet365 North Carolina sports betting partner: Charlotte Hornets
• Bet365 North Carolina welcome offer: Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets OR First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000 in Bonus Bets
• Bet365 bonus code: FPBNC
• Launch date: March 11
• Bet365 NC mobile app: Yes
• Apple iOS rating: 4.8
• Android rating: 4.5

DraftKings NC runs so many contests surrounding big events that it must be considered one of the best North Carolina sports betting sites. DK always has free contests surrounding the biggest games and events across the country, offering a ton of value to every player. You don’t have to bet to make money with the free contests at DraftKings. However, many betting options are available whenever you decide to let any of your contest winnings ride.

Be sure to use our links when signing up at DraftKings NC, and you’ll get up to $1,250 in bonuses. Get $50 in Bonus Bets just for depositing at least $5, then get another $200 in Bonus Bets once you make an initial wager of at least $5. New sign-ups can additionally get a 20% deposit match bonus worth up to $1,000 and a No Sweat NBA SGP every day of NBA Playoffs.

• DraftKings North Carolina sports betting partner: NASCAR
• DraftKings North Carolina welcome offer: Get up to $1,250 in bonuses. Bet $5, get $200 in Bonus Bets instantly, plus a 20% match up to $1000 (25x playthrough). Also get a $50 Bonus Bet with $5 deposit and a No Sweat NBA SGP every day of the NBA Playoffs.
• DraftKings promo code: None needed; click promo below
• Launch date: March 11
• DraftKings NC mobile app: Yes
• Apple iOS rating: 4.8
• Android rating: 4.6

Caesars NC Sportsbook posts consistently competitive odds, making it one of the best North Carolina sports betting sites. It’s always worth a look when shopping for the best lines because it’s possible to find better spreads and moneylines at Caesars. You also earn Caesars Rewards points, adding value to every bet, win or lose.

• Caesars North Carolina sports betting partner: Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina (Harrah’s Cherokee casinos)
• Caesars North Carolina welcome offer: TBD
• Caesars promo code: TBD
• Launch date: March 11
• Caesars NC mobile app: Yes
• Apple iOS rating: 4.6
• Android rating: 4.2

The place to get your favorite team’s gear is now the place to bet on your favorite team, making Fanatics one of North Carolina’s best online sports betting sites. The popular sports merchandise and apparel retailer is now a rising online sportsbook, offering promos like daily bonus bets and a myriad of opportunities to earn FanCash, with which you can bet or purchase merch.

• Fanatics North Carolina sports betting partner: Carolina Hurricanes
• Fanatics North Carolina welcome offer: TBD
• Fanatics promo code: TBD
• Launch date: March 11
• Fanatics NC mobile app: Yes
• Apple iOS rating: 4.7
• Android rating: 3.5

We rank the top North Carolina sports betting sites based on our experience betting with these sites in other states. You can trust our opinions because we have decades of experience testing and reviewing sports betting sites.

We also consider certain categories you’ve identified as important in choosing a sports betting site. We make sure the odds are consistently competitive and that there’s a variety of ways to bet.

We try to identify the sports betting sites with the best bonuses, contests, and promos, offering additional value to new and existing players.

Plus, we look for sites that run on reliable software platforms, with easy-to-use and legitimate baking options and special features that enhance the sports betting experience.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up a sports betting account in North Carolina.

• Click any of the sportsbook app links on this page to ensure you get access to our exclusive welcome bonus offers.
• Fill out the registration forms on the sportsbook website, entering basic information that includes your name, address, and date of birth.
• Check the privacy policy and terms and conditions boxes.
• Submit all your forms and information to create your new account immediately.
• Provide the sportsbook with a copy of your ID to verify your identity, prevent fraud, and ensure access to fast payouts.

By law, North Carolina sportsbooks are required to partner with a professional sports franchise, league, golf club, or racetrack to get a license. The state’s two Indian tribes that offer retail sports betting also can partner with a sportsbook to offer online sports betting. Here’s how those partnerships break down:

The best North Carolina sports betting sites launched on March 11. You also can place bets in person at retail sportsbooks inside the Harrah’s Cherokee casinos in Cherokee and Murphy and the Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain.

One of the biggest differences between North Carolina sports betting sites and retail sportsbooks is payout speed. It’s hard to beat immediately available cash at the ticket window inside a retail sportsbook. However, North Carolina sports betting sites are more convenient in almost every other way.

You don’t have to leave home to bet, you don’t need cash to bet, and the best North Carolina sports betting sites offer you thousands of dollars in welcome bonuses and ongoing promos.

You get bonuses just for signing up for an account, depositing, and betting. Plus, you can take advantage of regular odds boosts, free contests, and other promos.

Retail sportsbooks might run a few promos or contests of their own, but these don’t compare to the value you can find at the best North Carolina sports betting sites.

See More: North Carolina Sports Betting Apps | NC Sports Betting Launch News

The best North Carolina sports betting sites offer you a variety of ways to bet on all kinds of sports. Here are the most popular bet types:

Pick game winners with a point spread set by sportsbooks factored into the final score. The spread works like a handicap, spotting the game’s underdog a few points to even out the odds.

You add the points to the underdog’s final score or deduct them from the favorite’s, using the adjusted final score to determine if your bet wins. Bet on the favorite or the underdog, but all bets are booked at mostly even odds, with a small profit for the sportsbook baked into the odds.

Pick straight-up game winners. There’s no point spread here. You simply book your bet on the favorite or underdog at the currently posted odds. The odds on the favorite have a minus sign out front, telling you how much you must bet to win $100 in profit.

The odds on the underdog have a plus sign out front, telling you how much profit you can earn for every $100 you bet. Winners get paid at the odds as posted when the bet was placed, no matter how much they change after.

Bet that the total points scored in a game will land over or under a line set by sportsbooks. Sportsbooks set the lines so that the odds on either side are close to even. Again, the common -110 number betrays the slight vig (-10) charged by the sportsbook.

Combine two or more picks into one bet to make it a parlay. Parlays pay better than the sum of the individual legs because you have to win every single one to win anything at all.

Combine two or more picks from the same game into one bet to make it a same game parlay. Same game parlays pay better than the sum of the individual legs because you have to win every single one to win anything at all.

However, same game parlays generally pay less than traditional parlays because the legs can be correlated.

Props let you bet on team and individual stats, accomplishments, and happenings throughout a game, like how many points one player might score, if one team will hit more or less than five three-pointers, or if the game will include an overtime period.

There are all kinds of props available for each game, but they’re generally framed as ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions or over-under-style bets against a line. The odds work similarly to those for moneyline or totals bets.

Live bets allow you to bet on games in the middle of the action at odds that are constantly changing based on time, score, and other in-game factors. There are all kinds of live bets available during each game.

Many are the same as the pre-game lines, while others let you bet on individual possessions or drives.

Bet on outcomes in the near future, like the NBA Finals or the NHL Stanley Cup winner this season. These odds start long and stay long throughout the year until a true favorite emerges.

Futures betting also includes season-long award and stat leader betting, team win totals, and playoff placement.

Payment and cashout options available at the best North Carolina sports betting sites will include the following.

• PayPal/Venmo/Skrill: Third-party online payment processors
• Affiliated Sportsbook Properties: Cash from the ticket windows at affiliated retail sportsbooks
• Play+: Prepaid credit cards you can also use to withdraw cash at the ATM
• Online Banking: Your online bank account
• ACH/Instant Bank Transfer: E-check and online bank transfers

Sports betting is legal in North Carolina. You can place bets at retail sportsbooks inside Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos in Cherokee and Murphy and the Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain.

Online sports betting started March 11, 2024, after the state passed sports betting expansion legislation in 2023. Eight online sports betting sites in North Carolina have been licensed by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission.

North Carolina issued the state’s first sports betting licenses to seven sports betting sites: FanDuel, BetMGM, Bet365, DraftKings, Fanatics, ESPN Bet and Underdog. Plus, Caesars Sportsbook received a sports betting supplier license through its partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and its two tribal casinos in the state.

You can bet on sports in North Carolina the same way you might in other states. North Carolina’s first online sports betting sites launched in time for March Madness betting. You also can bet at retail sportsbooks inside Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos in Cherokee and Murphy and the Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain.

You can use eight apps to bet on sports in North Carolina. Those apps include some of the best sportsbooks in the US, including Caesars Sportsbook NC, BetMGM Sportsbook NC, FanDuel Sportsbook NC, DraftKings Sportsbook NC, Bet365 Sportsbook NC, and Fanatics Sportsbook NC.

Yes. Bet365 started taking bets March 11, when NC mobile betting went live.

NC sports betting sites make it easy to withdraw money from your account. You can normally get your money off the sites the same way you deposited. Payment and cashout options available at the best North Carolina sports betting sites will include PayPal/Venmo/Skrill, affiliated retail sportsbooks, Play+ cards, online banking, and ACH/Instant Bank Transfer.

You can bet on all major US sports with North Carolina sports betting sites, including pro and college sports. You’ll find NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA basketball and football markets at the best North Carolina sports betting sites. Plus, many will offer betting on a variety of women’s sports, international competitions like the Olympics, and other popular overseas action.