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 currently legal in most US 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 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

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*The options available in your state are fantasy pick’em apps and social sportsbooks, not technically sports betting.

States with Legal March Madness Betting Online

Many US 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:

Arizona sports betting law allows sportsbooks to offer bets on college basketball games with only one restriction: sportsbooks may not offer prop bets on individual player performances.

Licensed betting sites and sportsbooks may accept wagers on March Madness games without any special restrictions.

Colorado law allows fans to bet on March Madness online.

However, there are limitations on prop bets involving college athletes. The Limited Gaming Control Commission (LGCC) has approved many March Madness prop bets related to teams and game outcomes but generally prohibits proposition wagers on individual players.

Some examples of authorized March Madness props in Colorado include:

  • The state of the winning team
  • Double chance bets on the tournament
  • Team X to make round X
  • Any 16 seed to beat a 1 seed
  • Highest/lowest seed to reach round X
  • How many seed X will make round X
  • Team A to get X seed
  • Team A to be eliminated in round X
  • Plus many more

Sportsbooks may offer wagers on March Madness games that do not involve local universities.

Delaware sports betting sites may offer wagers on all March Madness games except those involving Delaware universities.

Florida online sports betting law allows fans to bet on all March Madness games through the Hard Rock Bet app. There are no restrictions on in-state teams, meaning fans can bet on the Florida Gators legally.

College basketball betting is legal in Illinois.

However, any bets on March Madness games involving Illinois teams may only be placed in-person at retail sportsbooks.

Indiana allows fans to bet on the NCAA college basketball tournament, but state law prohibits in-play player props.

Iowans may bet on March Madness online, but prop bets on individual athletes are prohibited for games that involve Iowa colleges.

Kansas betting sites and retail sportsbooks may offer wagers on college events, including March Madness, without any special restrictions.

Kentucky sportsbooks may offer wagers on all March Madness games. That includes all standard types of wagers, player props, and bets on in-state teams.

Louisiana law allows licensed sportsbooks to offer wagers on all college basketball games. There are no special restrictions regarding local universities.

It is legal to bet on March Madness online in Maine. However, licensed betting sites may not accept wagers on individual March Madness games involving Maine colleges.

Maryland sports betting regulations permit betting on March Madness games without any special restrictions. Sportsbooks may offer wagers on individual games, tournament outcomes, player props, and more.

Massachusetts permits sportsbooks to accept wagers on all March Madness games, including games involving local teams.

The law prohibits wagers on games involving Massachusetts colleges in most cases but provides an exception for any teams participating in tournaments.

Michigan sports betting laws allow licensed operators to accept wagers on March Madness without any special restrictions.

NCAA basketball betting is permitted in Nevada; no restrictions on wagers involving in-state teams.

New Hampshire law allows limited March Madness betting. Fans may bet on the NCAA tournament minus two exceptions:

  • No wagers on college games held in New Hampshire
  • No wagers on games involving NH colleges

March Madness betting is legal in New Jersey with two exceptions:

  • No wagers on games involving New Jersey Colleges
  • No wagers on college games held in New Jersey

Lawmakers passed a bill to hold a public referendum to legalize wagers on local colleges, but New Jersey voters rejected the measure.

New York sportsbooks may offer NCAA basketball betting with two restrictions: sportsbooks may not accept wagers on games that involve local schools or college games held in New York.

North Carolina aims to have online sports betting up and running in time for the 2024 edition of March Madness.

If that happens, North Carolinians will be able to bet on all March Madness games without any special restrictions.

Ohio sports betting law allows sportsbooks to accept wagers on March Madness games, but proposition bets on individual athletes are prohibited.

College sports betting is prohibited across the board; sportsbooks may not offer wagers on any college games. Oregon lawmakers have tried to authorize college betting via legislation to change the current law, but they have had no success to date.

College basketball betting is permitted; no restrictions on in-state teams.

NCAA basketball tournament betting is allowed; no wagers permitted on college games that take place in Rhode Island or games anywhere that involve Rhode Island teams.

March Madness betting is permitted; no in-game prop bets on college sports events.

Vermont sports betting sites may offer college basketball wagering with two exceptions:

  • No wagers on games involving Vermont colleges
  • No wagers on NCAA games held in Vermont

However, sportsbooks may offer wagers on tournaments like March Madness, even if Vermont colleges are participating or some of the games are held in Vermont.

College basketball betting is allowed; sportsbooks may not accept wagers on games involving in-state universities, prop bets on college games, or in-play betting on college games.

March Madness betting is legal; no wagers on games involving DC colleges or college games held in DC.

College basketball betting is allowed; no restrictions on in-state teams.

Wyoming allows college betting without any special restrictions. Fans may bet on local teams, place player props, and more throughout March Madness.

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 year’s 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 daily 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 sports betting.

PrizePicks: 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.

Free March Madness Bracket Contests

Another option for fans in states without 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 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

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

Past march madness promotions include:

  • $10 Million March Madness Bracket Challenge
  • March Madness Bonus Bets

Check back closer to the tournament for more details on March Madness betting promotions from our favorite online sportsbooks.