Compare / North Carolina vs. South Carolina
North Carolina vs. South Carolina: gambling compared
Both North Carolina and South Carolina have state lotteries. North Carolina also has online sports betting, in-person sports betting, tribal casino gaming, online lottery ticket sales and paid daily fantasy sports, which South Carolina does not.
Lottery sales in fiscal 2024: $5.38B in North Carolina, $2.22B in South Carolina.
Lottery sales
Data
North Carolina, FY2024: $5.38B, up 24% from FY2023; South Carolina, FY2024: $2.22B, down 1% from FY2023.
| Fiscal year | North Carolina | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | $5.38B | $2.22B |
| FY2023 | $4.34B | $2.23B |
| FY2022 | $3.89B | $2.09B |
| FY2021 | $3.47B | $2.25B |
| FY2020 | $2.75B | $1.96B |
| FY2019 | $2.62B | $1.84B |
| FY2018 | $2.38B | $1.63B |
| FY2017 | $2.22B | $1.52B |
| FY2016 | $2.22B | $1.49B |
| FY2015 | $1.83B | $1.30B |
| FY2014 | $1.71B | $1.18B |
| FY2013 | $1.57B | $1.11B |
| FY2012 | $1.48B | $1.06B |
State fiscal years, from the Census Bureau. North Carolina lottery · South Carolina lottery
Side by side
| North Carolina | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | ||
| Sports (online) | Live since 2024 | Not authorized |
| Sports (retail) | Live since 2021 | Not authorized |
| Online casino | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Online poker | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Commercial casinos | Not authorized | Prohibited |
| Tribal casinos | Live since 1997 | Limited |
| Lottery | Live since 2006 | Live since 2002 |
| iLottery | Live since 2023 | Not authorized |
| Daily fantasy | Live | Not authorized |
| VGTs / VLTs | Prohibited | Prohibited |
| Historical horse racing | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Sweepstakes casinos | Prohibited | Not authorized |
| Prediction markets | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Skill games | Contested | Not authorized |
| Card rooms | Not authorized | Not authorized |
| Lottery couriers | Not authorized | Contested |
| Pick'em fantasy | Prohibited | Not authorized |
| Pari-mutuel | Legal, not launched | Prohibited |
| Advance deposit wagering | Legal, not launched | Not authorized |
| Charitable gaming | Live | Live since 1996 |
| Esports betting | Live | Not authorized |
| Social casino | Live | Live |
| Tax rates | ||
| Sports (online) | 23% of GGR | — |
| Sports (retail) | 23% of GGR | — |
| Daily fantasy | Set by statute; see rates | — |
| Skill games | — | Set by statute; see rates |
| Advance deposit wagering | 1% of amount bet | — |
| Minimum age | ||
| Commercial casinos | Not legal | Not legal |
| Sports betting | 21 | Not legal |
| Lottery | 18 | 18 |
| Tribal casinos | 21 | — |
| Online casino | Not legal | Not legal |
| Horse racing | 21 | Not legal |
| Fantasy sports | — | Not legal |
| Bingo & raffles | — | 18 |
| Sports betting rules | ||
| Bet on a phone anywhere in the state | Yes | — |
| College games | Yes | — |
| In-state college teams | Yes | — |
| College player props | Yes | — |
| Sign up in person | No | — |
| Credit cards | Yes | — |
| Esports | Yes | — |
| Official league data required | No | — |
| Money | ||
| Reported revenue per adult, 2025 | $89 Includes: Sports (online). Coverage differs; no overall state rank. | — |
| Gambling and amusement taxes per resident, FY2025 | $11 33rd of 47 | $11 34th of 47 |
| Gambling and amusement share of state taxes, FY2025 | 0.30% 35th of 47 | 0.31% 34th of 47 |
| Lottery sales per resident | $480 FY2024 | $398 FY2024 |
| Lottery money to the state | $1.2B 22% of sales, FY2024 | $619M 28% of sales, FY2024 |
| Market | ||
| Online sportsbooks licensed | 7 | — |
| Casinos open | 3 | — |
| Regulators | North Carolina State Lottery Commission North Carolina Department of Public Safety (Alcohol Law Enforcement / charitable gaming licensing) North Carolina Department of Justice (Attorney General) | South Carolina Education Lottery Commission South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) South Carolina Office of the Attorney General South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) |
| Gambling bills still moving | 198 | 51 |
Census amusement and sports/pari-mutuel tax categories include non-gambling admissions and amusement businesses. This is a broad tax measure, not a gambling-only total; tribal payments and lottery transfers are separate. If a category is unreported, the sum covers only reported categories; missing is not confirmed zero.