See Which North Carolina Sportsbook App & Promo Is Best for You
North Carolina, you are so close to being able to legally bet at online sportsbooks! Though betting doesn’t officially start until March 11, you can pre-register at each of the eight sports betting apps entering the state as of March 1. And if you think/know you will participate in online sports betting when it’s available, I recommend you do take advantage of this pre-registration period—every sportsbook’s welcome offer is a little better during pre-reg than it will be March 11.
With that in mind, I know it can be tough to pick which sportsbook app is the right one for you when you haven’t had a chance to see/test any of them. As someone who does live in a state with legal online sports betting, let me help you, North Carolina! But in order to help, I need to know what matters to you. I have broken this down into six categories, which you can select from the links below and jump down to that section. If you’d rather just get a high-level view of each sportsbook app, though, just scroll down beyond the jump links.
North Carolina Sports Betting Apps at a Glance
If you’re not really sure what you care for the most when it comes to your sportsbook, let me give you the high-level notes on each of your options:
You might notice I have only included seven sportsbooks above, when there are eight that will be available to you. I left Underdog Sportsbook out since North Carolina is actually the first state where it is launching. So, I’m hoping you can help me with that one!
My notes above on Fanatics Sportsbook come from SBD’s social media manager & writer Zach Reger. He has had the pleasure of using Fanatics Sportsbook in Tennessee. Sadly, I have not had the pleasure, as they have not expanded into every legal online sportsbook state yet.
Below, you will find my recommendations based on the specific criteria you desire in your new North Carolina sportsbook.
I Just Want the Best Signup Bonus in North Carolina
If your main concern is taking advantage of the great sports betting promos in North Carolina, then the four sportsbooks above are, in my opinion, your best choice.
I have Fanatics as the top option because the dollar figure is the highest – $100 for registering early + a free hat with a $50+ deposit + up to $1,000 in bonus bets at launch. However, you do have some work to do in order to claim the full potential of this promo. In order to get the $100 bonus bet each day, you must make a $100 wager each day – you can wager less money, but Fanatics matches the amount you bet. So, a $50 wager would result in you getting a $50 bonus bet for that day.
I can appreciate that betting $100 for ten straight days may not be appealing to some, nor would it be responsible for some, but if that fits into your responsible gaming habits, then this is a really good bonus.
It’s a three-way tie for the next-best promo between bet365, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Each is offering $100 in bonus bets to pre-register and then a bet $5, get $200 bonus at launch as well. So, while these three are offering a lesser dollar amount in bonuses, they’re asking for much less from you to claim their promo.
I Want the Best Odds Boosts & Other All-User Bonuses
“All-user bonuses” and “odds boosts” are little promos that come after you sign up. Odds boosts are typically specific bets the sportsbook offers to you with better odds than normal. An example would be the Hurricanes moneyline odds being boosted from -180 to +100. All-user bonuses is a very vague term that could include odds boosts, but I use it to describe bonuses where the sportsbook is not determining the bet you have to make. An example of this would be a sportsbook giving you a 30% profit boost on any Duke vs UNC same-game parlay – you get to decide what the bet is!
I tend to prefer the all-user bonuses where I can make my own bet, but definitely take advantage of odds boosts when the price is right as well. (Please don’t think that all odds boosts are valuable. We round up the best odds boosts each day.) For that reason, I put DraftKings and bet365 as the top two for best all-user bonuses. Most of what they offer are open-ended, allowing you to make bets you want.
FanDuel offers more odds boosts where they’re giving you a specific bet to make. They generally have very good odds boosts each day, though!
The Most Important Thing to Me Is App Usability
There is very little separating the first (bet365) and fourth (DraftKings) North Carolina sports betting apps in this list. They all present very clean, organized, quick, and responsive apps.
While there may be some things you don’t like about their sportsbooks, I am confident you would not have any complaints with the app usability for any of the options above.
I Want to Make Sure I’m Getting Competitive Odds
The phrase “competitive odds” relates to the amount of juice/vig that a sportsbook charges on each type of bet – it is not referring to the best odds to bet on with any wager. (You should always shop for the best line, and it could be any of the eight sportsbooks entering NC with the odds you should take for a specific bet. This is why it’s smart to open more than one account.)
The standard odds you will find when it comes to spread and totals betting in the NBA & NFL are -110 on each side, which is a 4.77% vig. (If one side moves to -115 and the other is -105, this is still standard vig.) Most sportsbooks stick to this when it comes to the spread and total.
However, the vig charged on player props is what separates the three sportsbooks above. FanDuel is the best of the bunch, offering the most competitive odds / charging the least amount of vig when it comes to player props. They stick with -110 per side on most player over/unders. DraftKings and bet365 are charging a little more at -115 per side on player over/unders right now, but I have also seen both of these sportsbooks come down to -110 during the NFL season.
I’m Just Looking for a Simple Sportsbook
If you’re very new to sports betting or just prefer your betting kept simple, BetMGM, Caesars, and ESPN Bet are good options for you. These sportsbooks don’t offer as many betting markets as others, and therefore, tend to be a little less “noisy” for the user.
You can make all your traditional wagers at these three sportsbooks – moneylinem, spread, total, player props etc – as well as some unique markets, but it’s a simpler experience with these three.
I Want to Be Able to Make Many Different Types of Bets
If you’re a little more savvy or adventurous when it comes to sports betting, and like having endless betting options at your disposal, then I believe DraftKings, FanDuel, and/or bet365 are the best options for you. They all offer a ton of unique betting markets, lots of options when it comes to alternate lines (both for spreads/total and player props), and many different types of futures bets.
If you think some player is going to have the best/worst game of their life, these three sportsbooks will allow you to craft a bet around it. If you think Bryce Young is going to lead the NFL in passing next season – I would not advise you do this – you can do it with them. I am confident you will not be disappointed in your betting options if you choose any of DraftKings, FanDuel, or bet365.
I Want the Best Loyalty Program
This was a bit of a tougher one for me to rank, since it depends what type of rewards you are into. However, the three above – Fanatics Sportsbook, BetMGM, and Caesars – offer rewards that aren’t just bonus bets / more money to be put into your sportsbook.
Fanatics offers a very unique FanCash program, where a percentage of every bet you make is turned into “FanCash.” The FanCash can be used at the Fanatics store to buy your favorite team’s merchandise.
BetMGM and Caesars both offer rewards programs that result in you getting complimentary nights at their hotels/resorts and discounts off any of the entertainment/shows going on at their venues.
