Underdog launched its online sportsbook in North Carolina as the state opened online sports betting, according to the company’s chief executive. The operator built its own technology and said some games were available at launch, with others planned for later.
Underdog’s launch adds a sportsbook competitor as North Carolina opens online sports betting.
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North Carolina sports betting handle rose 5% year on year to $718.2 million in September, reportedly reaching its highest level in six months.
North Carolina's sports betting handle reached $718.2 million in September, a rise of 5 per cent compared with the same month a year earlier. The month ranked as the state's strongest in half a year.
North Carolina's $34bn budget, signed by Governor Josh Stein in July, includes a 6% tax on prediction market operators' net trading fee revenue, citing WFAE. The tax takes effect in January and is expected to raise about $1m in the 2026-27 fiscal year. The measure adds to debate over election-related contracts on platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
According to, citing WFAE, North Carolina's new spending plan imposes a 6% levy on the net trading fee revenue of prediction market operators. The measure takes effect in January.
Sanford city councillor Charles Taylor, the Republican candidate for North Carolina House District 51, owns a property reportedly housing an illegal video gambling room with 22 slot machines, The Assembly reported. Taylor told the outlet he rents out the property and did not list it on his 2025 economic interest statement because the purchase closed on the final day of the year.
North Carolina recorded sports wagers exceeding $500m for a 12th consecutive month. Citing Spectrum News, it said treatment providers were receiving more sports betting enquiries. Advocates argued that the state’s mandated $2m annual allocation from digital sports betting taxes was insufficient for gambling addiction education and treatment.
North Carolina has recorded a 12th consecutive month in which more than $500m was wagered on sports bets, according to a report. The figure was reported by Spectrum News, which also said treatment providers are receiving more sports betting-related enquiries.
North Carolina Lottery staff reported 43 requests for sports betting applications: 11 from mobile operators, eight from service providers and 24 from suppliers. The lottery committee hopes to receive operator applications by 27 December, while proposed changes to the rules—including marketing and facility naming rights—await a full commission decision expected on 13 December. Mobile betting was previously expected to launch after the 2024 Super Bowl, with platforms required by law to go live by mid-June.