North Carolina’s first week of legal online sports betting featured significant wagering activity, according to the North Carolina State Lottery Commission.

The commission reported first-week total wagering handle of $198.1 million, gross wagering revenue of $42.7 million, and $7.7 million in tax revenue. On the first day of legal online betting in North Carolina, the commission reported $23.9 million of wagering handle, $11 million in gross wagering revenue, and about $2 million in tax revenue for the state.

“I think people liked the ability to wager in North Carolina on sports,” Sterl Carpenter, the commission’s deputy executive director of gaming compliance and sports betting, said.

Legal online sports betting in North Carolina launched on March 11 at noon, as eight legal North Carolina betting apps went live.

The launch of digital sports wagering in North Carolina came one day before the ACC men’s basketball tournament. That event was won by in-state program N.C. State. The Wolfpack defeated Duke and UNC on its way to winning the championship.

N.C. State is one of three ACC men’s basketball teams in the Sweet 16, joining UNC and Duke. The success of those teams has helped drive betting action in the Tar Heel State in recent weeks.

College sports are massive in North Carolina, especially college basketball. Currently, the state allows for betting on in-state college teams as well as college player prop betting.

The NCAA, however, shared Wednesday that it’s pushing intensely for a national ban on college player prop betting. Some states, such as Maryland and Ohio, recently implemented a ban on all college player prop betting.

North Carolina’s lottery says it would consider implementing a ban, if asked by the NCAA.

“The roll-out of sports betting in North Carolina has been smooth and successful, in part, due to the careful and deliberate manner in which the Commission has approached its responsibilities,” a commission spokesperson told Sports Handle. “Part of that discipline has been to avoid prematurely signaling the content of proposed rules and/or other actions.

“As the Commission continues its rulemaking process, it intends to maintain that same posture. If the Commission receives a request from the NCAA to prohibit college player prop bets, it will give such request due consideration as required by the sports betting statute.”