177% up to 5BTC + 77 Free Spins!
New players only. Exclusive Welcome Bonus of 177% + 77 Free Spins
Sports betting activity tied to the NCAA basketball tournaments continues to climb in the United States. Analysts expect another record year for March Madness wagers as sportsbooks and prediction market platforms attract more bettors.
New projections show billions of dollars flowing through legal betting markets during the tournament. Growth comes from expansion of legal wagering across more states and increased interest in betting markets connected to college basketball.
Good to Know
Consultancy H2 Gambling Capital expects sportsbooks in the United States to handle roughly $4 billion in wagers tied to the upcoming NCAA basketball tournaments. Projection comes from a report shared with iGaming.org.
Total would include betting activity on both the men tournament and the women tournament.
If the estimate holds, betting volume would rise about 6.7 percent compared with 2025 levels. Analysts estimate sportsbooks handled about $3.7 billion in wagers during the previous tournament cycle.
March Madness consistently ranks among the largest betting events on the American sports calendar.
Single day betting activity often spikes during the opening rounds when dozens of games take place across a few days. Bettors place wagers on moneylines, spreads, totals and player performance markets across hundreds of matchups.
Research from H2 Gambling Capital suggests the upward trend will continue.
“H2 estimates 2026’s event to grow on the record levels seen in the prior tournament as a result of continued handle growth across U.S. states, coupled with the launch of Missouri betting market in December,” the research firm said in its report.
Legal wagering expansion remains one of the key drivers of rising sportsbook handle.
Missouri sports betting began during December after voters approved legalization earlier in the year. The additional market increases the number of states where bettors can legally wager on NCAA tournament games.
Prediction market platforms could add additional activity beyond traditional sportsbook betting. Event contract trading tied to sports outcomes has grown during the past year through platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
Contracts tied to sports outcomes often resemble familiar sportsbook wagers such as point spreads or totals, although they operate through exchange style trading markets.
Sportsbooks typically experience their highest seasonal traffic during March Madness.
Hundreds of games across the men and women tournaments create daily betting opportunities for several weeks. Brackets, upset picks, and game by game wagering all contribute to betting volume.
H2 notes that the NCAA basketball tournament attracts more total wagers than any other sports event in the United States.
While the Super Bowl generates the largest handle for a single game, March Madness produces the highest overall betting activity due to the number of matchups played during the tournament.