One of the biggest college basketball betting events in the United States is a couple of weeks away, and many people are wondering if it is legal to bet on March Madness games. The answer is mostly straightforward, but certain states will not allow you to place certain types of wagers.
Conference tournament games began on Monday, as the Atlantic Sun Tournament arrived first on the dance floor. On Tuesday, the Horizon League and Patriot League get their respective tournaments underway. The Big South, Northeast Conference, Ohio Valley Tournaments all start on Wednesday, while the West Coast Tournament begins on Thursday.
Of course, the NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 19, with two First Four games tipping off. Let's find out where to bet on these March Madness games legally.
States Where Betting on March Madness Games Is Legal
Luckily, there are plenty of states where it is legal to bet on March Madness games. These states, with their stipulations in parenthesis, include Arizona (no prop betting), Arkansas, Colorado (no prop betting), Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa (no player prop betting), Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire (no prop betting on in-state schools), New Jersey, New York (no player prop betting), Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania (no player prop betting), Tennessee (no live/player prop betting), Vermont, Virginia (no prop betting), West Virginia (no player prop betting) and Wyoming.
However, the only stipulations don't stop at prop betting. For instance, you can only bet on in-state schools unless they're in a tournament in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. States where you cannot be on in-state schools include Illinois, Nebraska, New York, Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington DC. The states where you can only bet on March Madness games via in-person betting are Delaware, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington (tribal casinos), and Wisconsin (tribal casinos). Lastly, Montana only has March Madness games available for betting via the state lottery.
States Where Betting on March Madness Games Is Not Legal
Unfortunately, these states will not be able to participate is betting on March Madness games. They include Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. In addition, you're not able to bet on in-state schools in Nebraska.
Online Sportsbooks To Bet On March Madness Games
If you are placing wagers in states with legal online sports betting, many of the top online sportsbooks and sports betting apps have sportsbook promo codes that can get you thousands of dollars in bonus bets when you start a new account.
BetMGM Bonus Code ROTOBONUS:
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DraftKings Promo Code:
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FanDuel Promo Code:
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Hard Rock Bet Promo Code:
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bet365 Bonus Code ROTOWIRE:
Register using bet365 bonus code ROTOWIRE to qualify for a $1,000 First Bet Safety Net welcome bonus today.
Fanatics Sportsbook Promo:
Create an account with this Fanatics Sportsbook promo to unlock up to $1,000 in total bonus bets. Get your first bet up to $100 matched daily, for your first 10 consecutive days.
Can I Bet on March Madness in North Carolina?
Once North Carolina sports betting goes live on March 11, users in the Tar Heel state will be able to place wagers on March Madness, including local teams like UNC and Duke.
In the meantime, NC sports fans can begin pre-registering for accounts with the top North Carolina sportsbooks, claiming exclusive bonus bets.
This article is part of our Betting Promotions series.
