July 2025 saw North Carolina’s lowest sports betting revenue since the start of legal betting in March 2024. 

The report released by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission shows wagering totaling $370.4 million statewide in July, with $344.6 million paid out in winnings. The state collected slightly over $4 million in taxes. 

“July 2025 produced the lowest sports wagering tax revenue since betting launched in the state, driven by the sports calendar and favorable outcomes for bettors,” Joseph Harris, fiscal policy analyst for the John Locke Foundation, told the Carolina Journal. “June through August are typically among the slowest months for wagering, since football and basketball, Americans’ favorite sports to bet on, are out of season. The NBA Finals usually end mid-June, and the NFL regular season doesn’t start until September.” 

Wagering operators are taxed at 18% on their gross betting revenue after subtracting total payouts to winners. 

“Sports wagering companies are taxed on their gross wagering revenue, essentially their profit after paying out winning bets. While total wagers in July 2025 ($370 million) exceeded those in July 2024 ($340 million), operators paid out $345 million in winnings this year compared to $295 million last year,” said Harris. “Consequently, since basketball and football were out of season, and bettors enjoyed a strong month, taxable gross wagering revenue fell to an all-time low.” 

The state has collected over $65 million in sports betting tax revenue so far this year, compared to $105 million from March through the end of 2024. 

Use of the tax proceeds are as follows:

• $1 million annually to North Carolina Amateur Sports to expand opportunities in youth sports
• Up to $300,000 annually to collegiate athletic departments at 13 state universities: Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, NC Agricultural & Technical State University, NC Central University, University of North Carolina at Asheville, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Western Carolina University, and Winston-Salem State University
• $1 million annually to the North Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission for grants of up to $5,000 per team or group, per county, to help cover the cost of travel to in-state or out-of-state sporting events and grants of up to $25,000 to attract amateur state, regional, area, and national sporting events, tournaments, and programs
• Certain reimbursements to the NC State Lottery Commission and the NC Department of Revenue for expenses incurred to implement and administer the new law

Of any remaining proceeds:

• 20% will be distributed evenly among the 13 state universities to support collegiate athletic departments;
• 30% will go to a new North Carolina Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund to foster job creation and investment in the state;
• and 50% will go to the state’s General Fund.

Approximately $2 million goes to the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to fund gambling addiction education and treatment programs.

ROCHESTER — Leadership Greater Rochester, a program put on by the Rochester Area of Commerce, with the help of community partners, launched a Youth Connections Sports Trailer on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025 at Franklin Elementary School.

The Minnesota Twins donated various baseball and softball equipment, including bats, balls and gloves. TC Bear, the official mascot for the Twins, was in attendance to help unbox and play with SACC students at Franklin Elementary.

The trailer is free to rent and includes various sporting equipment designed to bring recreational activities to neighborhoods across Rochester.

The project aims to reduce monetary and access barriers to physical activity, and is managed by Rochester Parks & Recreation.

It is available for reservations through their website.

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Recently, during routine summer football conditioning at a local high school, what began as a typical day on the field quickly became a test of preparation, composure, and life-saving skill.

As student-athletes ran sprints under the heat of the summer sun, one young athlete suddenly collapsed. Jeff Wiseman, a certified athletic trainer (ATC) with Riverside Sports Medicine and the designated medical professional on-site, was nearby and immediately responded. What he found was alarming: the student’s pulse was faint, breathing irregular, and he showed signs of seizure-like activity.

Jeff didn’t hesitate.

With no time to spare, he began performing chest compressions and activated the school’s Emergency Action Plan (EAP)—a detailed protocol designed for exactly this kind of situation. An AED (automated external defibrillator) was quickly retrieved. 911 was called. Coaches on the field, trained and coordinated, assisted as Jeff led the emergency response.

Within minutes, York County Fire & Safety arrived on scene, seamlessly joining the effort. Working together, this team of first responders stabilized the athlete and transported him to Riverside Regional Medical Center, where emergency medical staff continued advanced care. He was later transferred to CHKD’s pediatric cardiology unit for further evaluation and monitoring.

Thanks to the quick thinking, rapid response, and collaboration between Riverside’s athletic training team and local emergency responders, the student-athlete is now doing well and expected to make a full recovery.

What happened on that field is a powerful reminder of why certified athletic trainers—and well-rehearsed Emergency Action Plans—are critical components of student-athlete safety.

“Without the life-saving care that was quickly provided by Jeff and supported by our community partners, the outcome may have been tragic,” said Dr. John Barley, Sport Medicine Physician with Riverside.

While incidents like this are rare, they underscore the reality that medical emergencies can—and do—happen in youth sports. But when they do, Riverside’s team is ready.

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal prosecutors have secured the conviction of the 52nd defendant charged in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.

Guhaad Hashi Said, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in federal court on Monday.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the State of Minnesota, Said filed for reimbursements from the Federal Child Nutrition Program after falsely claiming to have served more than one million meals to children between March and December of 2021 through an organization called Advance Youth Athletic Development. Prosecutors said Said then attempted to launder the funds by opening a bank account for Advance Youth Athletic Development and later transferring the money to another account.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Said and his co-conspirators ultimately received more than $2.9 million in federal funding in the scheme.

“Said stole money, falsified paperwork submitted to the government, and was reimbursed millions of dollars to which he was not entitled,” FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. said in a statement. The FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, will ensure this fraud stops, and we will ensure that every defendant in this investigation is held fully accountable for their conduct.”

Said will be sentenced at a later date. He faces up to 25 years in federal prison.

Today we’re diving into some ongoing battles over athlete pay, from college athletics to the WNBA.

In the case of college sports, a recent lawsuit settlement involving the NCAA allows colleges and universities to pay their athletes directly, which has the potential to transform the financial landscape of college athletics.

“The House v. NCAA settlement is just the latest in what seems to be a kind of peeling back of an onion of how college athletes are being paid,” said sports journalist Kennington Lloyd Smith III.

On the show today, Smith explains how college athlete pay has evolved, how the recent House v. NCAA settlement could strain athletic departments, and what could come from the WNBA players’ current fight for more equitable pay. Plus, the sports private equity firms are eyeing.

Then, we’ll hear how one listener got involved in local government. Plus, Paralympic sled hockey gold medalist Declan Farmer answers the Make Me Smart question.

Here’s everything we talked about today: