March Madness Betting: Promotions, Brackets, and Contests

Welcome to the BettingUSA.com March Madness betting guide.

College basketball’s biggest month is just as important for online sportsbooks as it is for fans, so bettors can expect lots of promotions and bracket contests throughout the tournament.

And as usual, legal sports betting has expanded even further since last year’s NCAA tournament. Sports betting is legal in three dozen states today, and fans in most jurisdictions can bet on March Madness online through licensed betting sites and mobile apps.

One of the byproducts of state control over sports betting is that regulations and availability vary from one state to the next. With that in mind, BettingUSA’s 2024 March Madness betting guide will explain how it works in every state in simple terms.

Below, readers can see where college basketball betting is legal, which online sportsbooks are available in each state, and what types of March Madness betting promotions are on offer.

March Madness Betting Sites

21+ to Play, T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

NCAA Championship Odds Comparison

States with Legal March Madness Betting Online

More than two dozen states have legalized online sports betting, but college betting regulations vary. For example, Oregon does not allow college betting at all, while some states prohibit wagers on in-state college teams or individual player props.

Fans in the following states have access to March Madness betting sites, subject to the following rules:

States with In-Person March Madness Betting Retail Only

College basketball betting is allowed in person at retail sportsbooks in each of the following states, subject to certain restrictions in some jurisdictions.

• Mississippi Sportsbooks: College betting is legal; no restrictions on in-state teams
• Montana Sportsbooks: College betting is permitted at authorized locations in Montana; no special rules apply to college sports
• New Mexico Sportsbooks: College wagering allowed; casinos set their own policies on college betting
• South Dakota Sportsbooks: Licensed sportsbooks may offer wagers on college games, but they may not accept bets on games involving local universities or props on individual athletes
• Washington State Sportsbooks: Legal sportsbooks in WA may offer college betting except on games involving local schools
• Wisconsin Sportsbooks may offer college betting; wagers not allowed on games involving in-state teams

A Note to College Basketball Fans in States Without Legal Sports Betting

Readers in states without legal March Madness betting do not have to sit this years tournament out.

If you’re reading this from a state that does not have legal sportsbooks, the odds are good you are either not too far from a state with legal online sports betting or have access to fantasy sports sites that provide an experience that is very close to the real thing.

Readers Near Or Visiting Legal States

First, we urge readers to view the map near the top of our NCAA sports betting page to see if you’re close to a state with legal online betting. Mobile betting apps in legal states permit customers to sign up for accounts and place deposits from anywhere in the country.

If you are close to a state with legal online betting, you can set everything up in advance from your location and then place your wagers the next time you cross into that state.

Fantasy Prop Betting Style Contests for Everyone Else

If visiting a state with legal online sportsbooks is not an option, the next-best alternative to betting on March Madness is a type of fantasy site that hosts fast and simple predictions contests related to team and player stats.

The websites and apps we’re referencing are not standard fantasy sites that involve hours of research and drafting teams of players. Instead, players log on, make predictions, and get paid if their predictions come true. The experience is remarkably similar to full-fledged sports betting.

PrizePicks: PrizePicks emphasizes speed and simplicity. In a PrizePicks contest, users choose 2-5 athletes and make over/under predictions on their statistical or fantasy point totals to win up to 10x their buyin. For example, a PrizePicks college basketball contest might involve picking the over/under on each athlete’s points, assists, or rebounds during an upcoming game.

_{PrizePicks is open to customers 18 or older and located in AK, AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, NC, ND, NE, NM, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VT, WI, WV, WY, or Canada}

PrizePicks is hosting four giveaway contests with more than $16,000 in promo funds on offer. New and current customers can earn tickets into each giveaway by signing up for an account (100 tickets), referring a friend (100 tickets), or playing in $20 worth of CBB contests (5 tickets for every $20).

After the National Championship game, PrizePicks will draw an entry for every giveaway, giving the winner a free entry into a 5-flex contest featuring a prize pool of up to $10,000 in promo funds:

• Giveaway 1: Free entry to win $10,000
• Giveaway 2: Free entry to win $5,000
• Giveaway 3: Free entry to win $1,000
• Giveaway 4: 12 free entries to win $500

Free March Madness Bracket Contests

Yet another option for fans in states that lack legal sports betting are free bracket contests with real prizes. In most states, sports fans can participate in March Madness bracket contests with real money prizes as long as they are free to enter.

Every year, a handful of sportsbooks and media outlets launch free March Madness contests that offer significant payouts for those who build the best brackets. These contests are an excellent alternative for fans who can’t bet on March Madness online where they live.

March Madness Betting Bonuses

The Super Bowl is the single biggest day for sports betting, but even the Big Game has nothing on March Madness as a whole when it comes to betting interest. March is by far the most important month of the year for sportsbooks. And with operators in newly regulated states competing for market share, the number of March Madness betting promotions is quickly ramping up.

Below is an overview of what each of the nation’s major sports betting operators has on offer for this year’s Big Dance. Follow the links below to visit each sportsbook for more details, download the mobile app, and get started today.

The following snippets discuss standard new customer bonuses along with March Madness-specific offers. BettingUSA.com will provide updates below as sportsbooks launch additional promotions.

BetMGM March Madness Promotions

BetMGM Sportsbook has already announced multiple March Madness promotions and will likely launch additional offers as the tournament progresses.

$10 Million March Madness Bracket Challenge

Most notably, the BetMGM March Madness Bracket Challenge has returned with an even bigger prize pool this year. Now, fans from all 50 states can join BetMGM to compete for a $10 million perfect bracket prize and a guaranteed $100,000 prize.

It’s free to enter the BetMGM March Madness Bracket Challenge and open to fans 21 or older nationwide.

Note: Thie BetMGM Bracket Challenge is open to players in all states, regardless of whether sports betting is legal in each state. However, your account must be verified before the first game on March 17^th, so if you want to participate, get started ASAP.

The BetMGM Bracket Challenge is free to play, and you do not need to make a deposit or place a wager. BetMGM will pay out cash prizes to winners’ accounts after the National Championship game.

Participating in the BetMGM March Madness Bracket Challenge is simple:

1. Sign up for a BetMGM account or log in to your existing account
2. Visit the promotions tab and log in to the March Madness contest using your BetMGM username/password
3. Select your teams to build your March Madness bracket
4. If you build a perfect bracket, you win the $10 million top prize
5. Barring that, the player with the most correct picks wins the guaranteed $100,000 prize – if multiple winners tie for the most correct picks, they split the $100K prize evenly

BetMGM $1000 March Madness First Bet Offer

• BetMGM March Madness Bonus Code: BUSABONUS
• Offer Available in: AZ, CO, DC, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MA, MD, MI, MS, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WA, WV, & WY

The BetMGM betting offer gives new users a chance to place their first March Madness bet with a guarantee that if it loses, they’ll receive a bonus bet of equal value as a refund. For example, if you wager $500 on your favorite team to win its next game and lose, BetMGM will give you a $500 bonus bet to use on the market of your choice.

DraftKings March Madness Betting Promos

DraftKings Sportsbook is a reliably promotions-heavy operator during major sporting events. In the run-up to the Super Bowl this February, DraftKings launched more promos than anyone else in the business.

Look for more of the same throughout March Madness 2024. BettingUSA will update this page with more details as additional DraftKings March Madness promos go live.

DratKings March Madness New Customer Bonus: 20% up to $1,000

• DraftKings March Madness Promo Code: None needed – use any link on this page
• Offer Available in: AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, & WY

New DraftKings customers can sign up for an account to get an extra 20% on their first deposit for up to $1,000 in bonus funds.

After you make your first deposit, DraftKings will issue an extra 20% in site credit to a pending bonus account. For every $25 you bet on sports or spend on fantasy contests, DraftKings will release $1 in bonus funds to your betting account. All customers have 90 days to clear as much of the bonus as possible.

DraftKings March Madness New Customer Offer: Bet $5, Get $200

• DraftKings March Madness Promo Code: None needed
• Offer Available in: AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, & WY

DraftKings is celebrating March Madness 2024 by inviting all new customers to place a $5 or larger pregame moneyline bet on any team. If it wins, they receive their standard cash winnings plus $200 in bonus bets.

New users qualify by signing up for an account, making a minimum deposit of $5, and placing a $5+ moneyline wager on any March Madness team. If the qualifying wager wins, DraftKings will issue the customer eight bonus bets of $25 each. Bettors must use their bonus bets within seven days of receipt.

DraftKings No-Brainer Gonzaga Odds Boost

• Offer Available in: AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, & WY

In addition to everything detailed above, DraftKings is offering a massive odds boost on Gonzaga to win its first round game against Georgia State.

From now until March 17^th, DraftKings Sportsbook customers can bet up to $50 on Gonzaga over Georgia State at +100. It’s a no-brainer odds boost because most oddsmakers have priced Gonzaga at -10,000 or worse over Georgia State. Even for those rooting against Gonzaga, it’s a price that’s too good to pass up.

DraftKings Daily Free-to-Play March Madness Pools

DraftKings will host free-to-play March Madness pools throughout the tournament with real cash prizes.

Some offer hefty payouts, such as the Yuengling Bracket Battle with $60,000 on offer for the top 5,096 brackets or the winner-take-all $30,000 March Mania survivor pool.

DraftKings is also hosting daily $4,000 to $8,000 predictions games every day of the tournament. They are free to enter, and all fans need to do is sign in and answer questions about the day’s upcoming games.

Sports fans nationwide can see the latest free-to-play pools by signing up or logging in at DraftKings.com and visiting the “Pools” tab.

BetRivers March Madness Betting Promotions

New BetRivers Sportsbook customers can sign up for an account today to claim a generous cash bonus and take advantage of daily NCAA tournament promos moving forward.

BetRivers March Madness Offer: Up to $500 Second Chance Bet

• BetRivers March Madness Bonus Code: BUSA
• Offer Available in: AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, & WV

Bettors who don’t already have accounts can visit BetRivers.com and register with the promo code BUSA to claim a first bet refund offer worth up to $500. New users who claim the offer and lose their first bet receive a refund in the form of a second chance bet of equal value. For example, someone who places a $300 first bet but loses would get a $300 second chance bet as a consolation prize. Winnings obtained by wagering the second chance bet do not have any additional wagering requirements and may be withdrawn at any time.

BetRivers $10,000 Tourney Madness Challenges

BetRivers Sportsbook customers can complete challenges during three phases over the course of March Madness for bonuses and a chance to win up to $10,000.

Every task bettors complete earns them one entry into a drawing to win anywhere from $25 to $10,000:

• 1^st place: $10,000
• 2^nd place: $5,000
• 3^rd place: $1,000
• 4^th-10^th place: $500
• 11^th-25^th place: $250
• 26^th-50^th place: $100
• 51^st-250^th place: $50
• 251^st-1,000^th place: $25

In addition, players who complete tasks such as winning any bet during the first round or placing a 5+ leg parlay earn profit boosts and bonus bets. Bettors can log in to their BetRivers accounts to see their tasks, what they’ve completed so far, and what they stand to win for completing additional tasks.

March Madness Betting FAQ