Sports betting in North Carolina seeing success 6 months after launching

NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- It has now been just shy of six months since legalized sports betting launched in North Carolina. For gamblers, the launch came at the perfect time, just days ahead of March Madness in the heart of college basketball country.

"I believe North Carolina's done what we thought it would do. So we're not disappointed with what, you know, what we're doing there. We think everything is going very positive," says Johnny Avello with DraftKings.

What started in March with a big boost from college hoops, and major betting companies running a lot of promotions to get people to download their apps led to a partial month of $659 million in total revenue statewide before winnings were paid out. But during the summer those numbers slumped, reaching $340 million in July.

Avello says the Olympics and less bet on sports like boxing and cycling just aren't as popular in our state.

"There are people that like to bet those types of sports and there are some in North Carolina that like those too but the masses do not, the masses like their major sports, and now that football's back we're going to see total engagement from North Carolina bettors," Avello says.

And with fall ramping up with both college football and the NFL, they're using promos to try and draw people in again.

"We want to make sure that people notice us. And, yes, we do hit the airwaves quite extensively. So, you'll see that throughout the entire season," he says.

Eventually, in addition to using your phone, you'll also be able to place bets in person. PNC Arena is one of 8 locations around North Carolina approved for an in-person sportsbook.