Best March Madness Betting Sites: How to Bet on NCAA Tournament 2026

What is the best betting site for March Madness?

When it comes to March Madness, the best sports betting site is FanDuel. It's available in nearly every state where betting is legal and provides top-tier college basketball markets and odds across the board. FanDuel also provides some of the best promotions, fast banking options, and top-notch customer service. As March Madness gets underway, it's my go-to for college basketball.

FanDuel has one of the best mobile apps, and a great desktop option as well. The app is known for it's functionality and clean user interface. Beyond basketball, you'll find a whole range of different sports markets, with a pop-up bet slip helping select and place wagers with ease. Check out the promos section for new offers daily, including Profit Boosts and No Sweat Bet opportunities.

Additionally, easily keep track of wins and losses with FanDuel's MySpend tools, which allow you to set appropriate limits, if needed.

- Devon Taylor, SBR Content Editor

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March Madness betting sites ranked and reviewed

Adults in all US states can enjoy betting on March Madness at these top-rated sportsbooks:

1. FanDuel Sportsbook – Best Overall March Madness Betting Site
2. BetMGM Sportsbook – Biggest March Madness First Bet Offer
3. bet365 Sportsbook – Best for Live Betting
4. Caesars Sportsbook – Best for Rewards
5. Fanatics Sportsbook – Best for March Madness player prop betting
6. DraftKings Sportsbook – Best March Madness promos for existing users
7. BetRivers Sportsbook – Best for Early Cash Out
8. theScore Bet – Newest March Madness betting site

Be sure to also check out which books have the best free bracket contests available for this year's tournament.

1. FanDuel Sportsbook 🔵 – Best Overall March Madness Betting Site

FanDuel is one of the most well-rounded March Madness betting sites. Not only are there extensive betting markets for every single game, starting with the First Four, there's also a terrific selection of tournament futures, such as "Duke to Reach the Final Four" or "Houston to Reach the Elite Eight." 

Every single game has numerous game props, including halftime spreads and totals, plus dozens of Alternate Spreads and Alternate Point totals. There are also "Race to X Points" markets, where you can pick which team will hit a certain point milestone first. No matter which kind of March Madness bet you're trying to make, FD has you covered. 

New users at FanDuel are eligible to claim a generous {{bonus/fanduel/headline/*/*/*}} welcome offer. Just download the mobile app and make a minimum deposit of $5 or more. No FanDuel promo code required. 

Once your account is funded, you can {{bonus/fanduel/bonus_text/*/*/*}} with {{bonus/fanduel/bonus_breakdown/*/*/*}}.

• Sign up and make a minimum deposit of $5
• You'll then be awarded one No Sweat Token every day for ten days
• Select your wager, toggle-on your No Sweat Token, and place your bet
• If your bet loses, you will be refunded in Bonus Bets.
• Maximum refund of $300 per No Sweat Token.
• Refunds will be credited within 72 hours of bet settlement.
• Bonus bets can be split up however you like, but expire in seven days.

Check out our FanDuel review for further information on what makes this the best overall betting site for March Madness.

2. BetMGM Sportsbook 🦁 – Biggest First Bet Offer

Our runner-up choice is BetMGM, although there's no shame in finishing second to FanDuel at all. BetMGM has all the most popular betting markets for every tournament game, but doesn't offer all the same niche or unique betting options that some competitors do. 

Regardless, BetMGM remains a terrific choice for betting on the tournament. You'll find competitive odds across the board, plus you can earn MGM Rewards and take advantage of one of the largest potential welcome bonuses in the industry. 

BetMGM tenders new customers a prolific college basketball betting experience, topped by a $1,500 First Bet Offer if your wager loses. It's one of the biggest promo on the market, and is available just in time for this year's tournament. Keep these important terms in mind when you sign up for an account:

• BetMGM bonus code SBRBONUS is necessary here.
• Make a first deposit of $10 or more and place your initial bet on any sports market.
• If your bet loses, you'll be fully reimbursed via bonus bets, up to $1,500.
• You will have seven days to use the bonus bet(s), and they will appear in your account within 24 hours of your losing wager settling.

Read our BetMGM review to gain a more thorough understanding of the sportsbook.

3. bet365 Sportsbook 🟢 – Best for Live Betting

bet365 closely rivals FanDuel in the sheer number of betting markets available for each game, giving players a glut of options to choose from. On top of that, bet365 offers a $10,000,000 Bracket Challenge that is free-to-play for all customers. You can win $10 million for a perfect bracket, even if the odds are roughly 1 in 9.2 quintillion. Even if your bracket isn't perfect, the next best entry will win $100,000. 

Before the tournament starts, bet365 is offering a 64% Profit Boost on any College Basketball Champion pick. That's much higher than its standard profit boosts, which are typically for 30-to-50%. 

Despite bet365 being legal in just 16 states, the sportsbook continues to gain notoriety in the U.S. for its impressive product, with some of the best live betting available for March Madness. Check out the app's {{bonus/bet365/bonus_text/*/*/*}} welcome promo for new users:

• Use the bet365 bonus code SBRBONUS to claim the sportsbook’s active sign-up bonus (use bonus code SBR365 in Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee).
• After signing up, you must deposit at least $10. Then, you'll have 30 days to place a {{bonus/bet365/minimum_wager/*/*/*}} qualifying bet on any sports market. Regardless of your wager's outcome, you'll receive {{bonus/bet365/bonus_total/*/*/*}} in bonus bets.
• Your qualifying bet must have one selection with odds of -500 or greater.

If the bonus bets welcome promo doesn't entice you, bet365 has a high-roller alternative: up to $1,000 first bet safety net. You can only use one of the two promos, though, so choose carefully. Note that in Illinois the offer is Bet $5, Get $150 Win or Lose.

Ensure you dig through our bet365 review to get a full picture of the sportsbook and one of the best sportsbook promos out there.

4. Caesars Sportsbook 🏛 – Best for Rewards

Caesars Sportsbook is another top choice for all things March Madness. In addition to numerous betting markets, adjustable pointspreads, and plenty of props for Regions and Seeds, there are handfuls of daily Odds Boosts picks that can help your bankroll. 

Caesars offers a unique "Parlay The Bracket" betting market, letting you put money down in support of your bracket picks. For example, you can parlay "Michigan to win, Duke to make Final Four, Houston and Iowa to both make the Elite Eight" into a single parlay. 

If that's not enough, Caesars also has a free-to-play Tournament Pick 'Em game, where you can make picks every round to win Profit Boosts or a share of $5,000,000 in bonus bets. 

Caesars Sportsbook continues to be a behemoth amongst online betting sites. It makes sense, then, that its March Madness welcome offer for new customers is among the most lucrative in the nation — {{bonus/caesars/headline/*/*/*}}. Consider these conditions before nabbing the offer:

• You must use the Caesars Sportsbook promo code — {{bonus/caesars/bonus_code/*/*/*}} — to claim the bonus.
• You must make a minimum deposit of $10.
• Place a $1+ wager with minimum -500 odds and you will receive {{bonus/caesars/bonus_breakdown/*/*/*}}
• Max. wager for each rewarded Profit Boost is $25.
• Max. additional winnings for each rewarded Profit Boost is $2,500.
• Profit Boosts will be active for 14 days. Unused Profit Boosts will expire.

Caesars Sportsbook also provides a great rewards system, where you earn points as you bet. Dive into our Caesars review for more actionable intel.

5. Fanatics Sportsbook 🏆 – Best for March Madness player prop betting

Fanatics has all the usual March Madness betting markets, making it a solid option. However, it truly shines if you're looking to make player prop bets during the tournament. Its best-in-class Fair Play Policy stands above competing sportsbooks in terms of how generous it is to bettors. 

The Fair Play Policy covers any player who exits a March Madness game before halftime (and does not return). Any player prop bet involving injured players will be either refunded or voided, and parlay bets will be recalculated at new odds without that leg. This policy has already saved Fanatics players more than $20 million since its introduction. If you're looking to make player prop bets over March Madness this year, Fanatics should be your go-to sportsbook.

First-time users can snag {{bonus/betfanatics/headline/*/*/*}} from Fanatics Sportsbook as the primary offer in most states. Fanatics Sportsbook also offers 10 x $100 Bet Matches welcome offer. You can only choose one welcome offer.

The offer varies slightly in North Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, and New York. In North Carolina and Tennessee, the primary offer is Bet $5, Get $400 in FanCash. In Illinois, choose between the sportsbook's Up to $1,000 in Bet Match FanCash offer or five (5) 100% profit boost tokens. New York has a unique offer of up to $250 in No Sweat Bets FanCash or five (5) 100% profit boost tokens.

No matter which offer you get, no Fanatics Sportsbook promo code is required.

• Minimum deposit of $10 required for all Fanatics welcome offers.
• Minimum wagers: $1 for bet matches, $5 for bet & get.
• Bonus bets cannot be cashed out and expire after seven days.

Fanatics offers some of the best player prop betting throughout March Madness. Check out our Fanatics Sportsbook review to learn more.

6. DraftKings Sportsbook 👑 – Best March Madness promos for existing users

DraftKings might be the only sportsbook that rivals FanDuel when it comes to the sheer number of March Madness betting markets. You'll find all the usual betting options, plus alternate lines, Quick Hits, Player Combos, Game Props, Team Props, Player Threes, Total Points in X Minutes, Either Or Player Props, and a special Buzzer Beater section. 

You can also find unique futures markets, like "Winning Conference," "Winning Region," or "Team vs. the Field" picks. On top of the almost endless betting options, DK is offering plenty of daily March Madness promos and bonuses for both new and existing users. Watch for Profit Boosts related to certain games, live bets, or same-game parlays, all month long. 

DraftKings Sportsbook is running a {{bonus/draftkings/headline/*/*/*}} welcome offer for new customers. Here are its key elements:

• No DraftKings promo code is required to obtain the bonus.
• After registration, you must make a {{bonus/draftkings/minimum_deposit/*/*/*}} minimum deposit and initial wager of at least {{bonus/draftkings/minimum_wager/*/*/*}} on any sport, minimum -500 odds.
• You'll receive {{bonus/draftkings/bonus_total/*/*/*}} in Bonus Bets, sent as {{bonus/draftkings/bonus_breakdown/*/*/*}}.
• You'll also get a 100% Profit Boost Token, eligible for any NCAA Tournament Winner bet
• One qualifying wager per customer.
• Bonus bets cannot be cashed out or transferred and expire after seven days.
• Offer expires April 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET.

Even you've cashed in on that offer, DraftKings offers a number of great promos daily to existing users. As March Madness gets underway, these promos can help you maximize your earnings. If you're interested in learning more about the sportsbook, read our DraftKings review.

7. BetRivers Sportsbook ⚡ – Best for Early Cash Out

BetRivers doesn't have all the same betting markets as FanDuel or DraftKings, but it still covers all the basics extremely well. If you're only looking for moneyline, totals, or spread wagers, BetRivers is a great choice. Best of all, you can adjust the spread and totals manually and see the associated odds. 

BetRivers still has plenty of game and team props. So, unless you're looking for a truly niche betting market, BetRivers will more than suffice. 

Last but not least, BetRivers has numerous special March Madness promos going on to celebrate the tournament. There's the Court Chaos Giveaway, which unlocks special bonuses when you place any $25+ wager on a tournament game, including a share of $100,000 in Bonus Bets if any team hits a buzzer beater (limit 1 per tournament). There's also a Cinderella Second Chance Token and a March Mania Parlay Boost. In short, BetRivers offers an excellent array of markets and promos to keep any March Madness fan interested. 

Up to a $500 second-chance bet awaits first-time users who opt to register with BetRivers to do their March Madness betting. Although this is one of the more straightforward welcome offers available, its still worth keeping the following in mind:

• Input the BetRivers bonus code — SBRBONUS — during sign-up to redeem the bonus.
• You must make a first deposit at least $10. Then, place a qualifying bet — should it fail, BetRivers will credit you the amount lost, up to $500, as a lone bonus bet.
• The bonus bet must have final odds of -200 or greater.
• You will receive the bonus within 24 hours of your losing wager settling, and you will have 30 days to use it.

BetRivers also offers Early Cash Out options, letting you quit while you're ahead. Explore all of the sportsbook's features in our BetRivers review.

8. theScore Bet 🏈 – Newest March Madness betting site

theScore Bet is the newest sportsbook on the block, but only by name. It's a re-skinned version of the old ESPN BET platform. While we don't think it stands ahead of the other sportsbooks on this list, we still believe it's worth your time. There are plenty of March Madness betting markets and a number of daily promos to spark some extra action (and maybe pad your account). 

Doing your NCAA March Madness betting at theScore Bet means you're eligible to acquire the sportsbook's {{bonus/thescore-bet/headline/*/*/*}} welcome offer. Ensure you're aware of the following terms associated with the offer before jumping in:

• No promo code is required to snag the sign-up offer.
• Following registration, you must deposit at least $10.
• You will have seven days to utilize the bonus bets, or they will expire.
• Bonuses will be distributed as 5 $20 bonus bets.

As one of the newest betting sites on the market, keep an eye out for different promos and offers from the sportsbook as they work to bring in new users.

How we rate and review March Madness betting sites

Deciding where to bet on March Madness can be tricky. There are a lot of things to consider and the sheer number of options can be overwhelming. Luckily, we've built our foundation on finding you the best March Madness betting sites. All you need to worry about is which snack to get and where you’re going to catch the game.

While developing the evaluation process, we've managed to zero in on some essential criteria. The best sports betting sites, in particular, need to meet a certain standard to keep up with the increased demand of March Madness wagering. Some of the key performance benchmarks include:

Exclusive March Madness promotional offers 💰

Sportsbooks are well aware of the increased interest in college basketball betting around March Madness. They are typically prepared to attract waves of new customers with exclusive March Madness offers. For example, some sites will offer a bracket challenge with a low entry fee and the potential to win a massive cash prize.

Not all promos are created equal, though. The offers that get our top marks require very little risk, provide a solid boost to your bankroll, and have realistic playthrough requirements that the average player can meet. 

Affiliated March Madness sign-up offers 🏀

Most sportsbooks run a sign-up offer all year, but the best sportsbooks come in with additional promotions for big events like March Madness. When ranking the top sports betting sites for college basketball, we look at the types of promos available and how often the app is providing them to figure out which are really worth claiming.

Some of our top-ranked options, including bet365 and DraftKings, offer free-to-play bracket challenges, offering thousands of dollars in bonus bets and other prizes to anyone who can nail their bracket predictions. 

Payout speed 💸

Payout speed, and the speed at which bonus credits from promotions are transferred into account balances, matter more than usual during March Madness. After all, the tournament lasts for under a month, meaning every day spent waiting for a payout or betting credits is a day of missing out on wagering.

Most sportsbooks offer quick payouts, but some do not, which factors into our rating. It’s also important to note which March Madness betting sites will remain consistent amid increased consumer demand. Sportsbooks that routinely offer quick and seamless payouts remain at the top of our list. 

Customer service 📞

Like payout speed, customer service is more important during March Madness as time is of the essence. Knowing which sportsbooks provide the best customer service can make all the difference, especially since some operators don’t offer instantaneous support via the telephone or live chat.

In our rankings, any sportsbook with instant support gets top marks. Having to wait for an email or social media reply can be frustrating, and we've ranked any sportsbook that only offers these options a little lower as a result. 

How to bet on March Madness

Even the most prolific sportsbooks don't always make the registration process clear. Below you'll find a step-by-step guide outlining how you go from signing up with your preferred March Madness betting site to making your first wager.

1. Select a sportsbook and register online

First, you'll need to select a preferred sportsbook—any of the options listed on this page will do. Once you've done this, locate a "Create an Account" or "Sign Up" button on the site or app's home page and fill in the required information. You'll need to enter your full name, mailing and email address, date of birth, and more.

This is also where you will be asked to enter a promo code. Not all welcome offers require a promo.

2. Deposit and claim a bonus

Following the creation of your new sportsbook account, you'll need to deposit some funds before you can do any online betting. Pinpoint the cashier — often conveniently found at the top or bottom of a betting site's home page — and scroll through all available banking methods until you find your desired choice. All of the best March Madness betting sites will feature the most popular options, from credit and debit cards to PayPal.

3. Select and finalize your bet

With funds in your account, you're ready to make your first bet. Take your time and thoroughly search the sportsbook's betting menu until you land on a market that suits you. Input the amount you wish to wager and then confirm the transaction. You'll notice the wager appear instantly in your bet slip. This is where you can view the wager's potential payout.

4. Withdraw your payout

Few things are as thrilling as watching one of your big wagers hit, and there's a good chance you'll want to withdraw your winnings immediately. Head to the same cashier section used for deposits and choose the "withdrawal" option to start the process. Simply enter the amount you want to take out and the banking method you prefer to use. Generally, it takes one to five days for a withdrawal to complete.

Other March Madness betting sites with bonuses

Already getting excited for the 2026 NCAA Tournament? You'll find all the best March Madness betting promos in the country in the table above. If you've explored them already, consider some of these additional college basketball betting sites and welcome offers:

Editor's Note: Bonuses are for U.S. residents only

States with legal March Madness betting

Since sports betting is regulated on a state level, the laws surrounding it change with almost every border crossing. The rules get even more specific when it comes to legal March Madness betting, given the extra stipulations placed upon college sports betting. To find out if you’re old enough to place March Madness bets, please refer to the table below. States where sports betting is not currently legal are not included in the table.

March Madness betting summary

March Madness betting odds

March Madness odds aren't just popular in March. Avid NCAAB bettors will place wagers on college basketball odds year-round, from Final Four odds to championship game odds and everything that comes before.

🏀 2026 National Championship odds

The Florida Gators won last year's NCAA Tournament, but it's Michigan and Duke currently holding the shortest odds across the board to win it all this year. Here's a look at the complete odds for this year's National Championship.

Odds updated March 16, 2026.

Popular bet types and formats at March Madness betting sites

Learning how to bet on March Madness involves deciding on a preferred format. One of March Madness' most popular betting formats is the bracket challenge. This is when a bettor essentially predicts the outcome of every game in every round, including the championship game. You can join in the fun by downloading our free printable March Madness bracket and making your own selections.

No one in history has ever verifiably picked a perfect bracket — if you're daunted by the idea, we have a guide on how to fill out a March Madness bracket — meaning the winner is the bettor who turns out to be the most correct. The best-ever March Madness bracket streak belongs to an Ohio man who correctly predicted the first 49 games of the tournament in 2019. For those looking to place wagers on more traditional betting markets — such as March Madness prop bets — the most popular options include:

• Moneyline (ex. taking Duke to win at +200)
• Spread (ex. picking Purdue -9.5 at -115)
• Over/Under point totals (ex. choosing over 145.5 points in Auburn vs. Marquette)
• Futures (ex. betting on Cooper Flagg's March Madness MVP odds)
• Props (ex. wagering on a certain player to score over 17.5 points in a single game)

March Madness bracket explained

Every year, the NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee sits down and begins the process of selecting the 68 participating teams. 31 of these teams are automatic qualifiers who earn their inclusion by winning their conference tournaments. The remaining 37 teams are selected as at-large bids based on a variety of factors including record, strength of schedule, and strength of conference. This day is called "Selection Sunday."

From there, teams are strategically placed throughout the championship bracket in a way that strives to achieve as much reasonable competitive balance as possible. After each year’s Division I men’s basketball championship, a comprehensive annual review of the principles and procedures ensures everything is up to standard.

The first round is technically the "First Four," which is a play-in round between the bottom-four automatic bids and the last four at-large teams selected for the tournament. Once the top 64 teams have been officially established, the Round of 64 begins. Following that, the winner of every game advances, and the round of 32 gets underway.

The winner of each game will then go through to the Round of 16, referred to by many as "The Sweet 16." From there, the winners proceed to "The Elite Eight," which is then followed lastly by "The Final Four." Both Final Four games are played on the same day, and the championship game is played two days afterward in early April.

March Madness key dates and developments

March Madness tips off on Tuesday, Mar. 17, 2026, with the start of the First Four. The Final Four is scheduled for Apr. 4, with the national championship game falling on Apr. 6.

Here's a complete list of the key dates from the 2026 tournament:

• Selection Sunday: March 15
• First Four: March 17-18
• First round: March 19-20
• Second round: March 21-22
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite Eight: March 28-29
• Final Four: April 4
• NCAA championship game: April 6

Towards the end of the tournament, we'll also see the College Basketball Crown. This 16-team postseason tournament features schools from the Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, and others that didn't participate in March Madness. 

In Oct. 2025, the NCAA announced that it will now require men's and women's player availability reports for the 2026 Division I basketball championships to be submitted the night before a game and two hours before tip-off. The NCAA has stated that the policy change was made to help reduce harassment directed at student-athletes due to the influence of sports betting.

March Madness betting apps

The college basketball betting landscape can be tricky to navigate because of the variety of rules from state to state. While the best sports betting apps can be used in some regions, others will require you to visit a retail sportsbook to submit a bet slip. College sports betting has become more prominent, but it still isn’t as ubiquitous as wagering on professional sports. Here are some things to consider when using March Madness betting apps:

• Sportsbooks must abide by regulations specific to college sports in each state. This can include, but is not limited to, bans on betting on in-state college teams as well as prop bets.
• The best March Madness betting apps offer popular features, including live streaming — which can come in handy for those who don’t subscribe to sports channels.
• Most sportsbooks will run some kind of March Madness betting promotion throughout the tournament, so it’s important to remember to take advantage of more than one to maximize value.

March Madness live betting

The best March Madness betting sites tend to be the best live betting sites, too. Traditional fixed odds betting requires players to place wagers before the games begin. With live betting, sweating your picks ahead of time morphs into sweating your picks in real time. When participating in March Madness live betting, keep the following considerations in mind:

• Live odds are often boosted during special events, such as March Madness, and taking advantage of them can pay off in spades.
• Live betting often comes with live streaming, providing a convenient way to watch the game via your sportsbook's website or mobile app.
• It can be difficult to prepare for live betting, but having a strong understanding of March Madness betting trends certainly helps.

Common bonuses at March Madness betting sites

New players dipping their toes into the waters of sports betting will quickly find that three types of bonuses dominate the welcome-offer space at March Madness betting sites: Deposit match bonuses, bet and gets, and First Bet Offer.

Deposit match bonus

One of the more traditional offers a sportsbook can put forth, a deposit match bonus is exactly what it purports to be. After registering and making an initial deposit with an operator, it will match the amount you put down via bonus funds, up to a certain percentage.

For example, if a sportsbook provides a 100% deposit match bonus with a limit of $500, you could put down $500 in real cash and receive an additional $500 in bonus funds.

Bet and get 

Bet and get offers have become highly popular amongst sportsbooks. Since they are generally low-risk entry points for new bettors, industry titans such as BetMGM and FanDuel will use them to tempt first-timers during big events, such as March Madness. 

The bonus involves placing an initial bet with a sportsbook, usually at a small amount, such as $5. Then, once that bet has settled — typically, the wager does not need to win — you will obtain bonus funds that far outweigh your wager amount. For example, bet365 is running a {{bonus/bet365/bonus_text/*/*/*}} sign-up bonus right now.

first bet offer

Long the king of welcome bonuses amongst sportsbooks, first bet offer permits you to be riskier with your initial wager and try for a big payday immediately. If you win, great — you'll collect your earnings, and the bonus won't activate. Should you lose, the promo will trigger, and the sportsbook will reimburse your stake in bonus funds, up to a specified amount.

For example, if a sportsbook has a $1,000 first bet offer sign-up offer, you can make a qualifying wager of $1,000, and if it fails, you'll get that amount back. However, it's important to remember that bonus funds must be used to bet further with a sportsbook and cannot be withdrawn or transferred.

Sportsbooks by category

Sports bettors can check out the top sportsbooks for specific sports, leagues, playoffs, and categories in our table below: