March Madness Betting Expected To Reach $3.3 Billion In The United States, AGA Reports

A new forecast shows sports betting activity around college basketball continues to climb in the United States. Industry estimates indicate billions of dollars will flow through sportsbooks during the upcoming NCAA tournaments as fans follow the month-long competition.

Good to Know

• The American Gaming Association expects $3.3 billion in wagers during the 2026 NCAA men and women basketball tournaments.
• Handle projections climbed from $3.1 billion last year and show a 54% increase over the past three years.
• The tournaments include more than 100 games over three weeks and end with the Final Four in early April.

March Madness Betting Expected To Reach $3.3 Billion Across Legal U.S. Sportsbooks

Sports betting activity connected to NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament and NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament continues to climb as regulated wagering expands across the United States.

The American Gaming Association estimates that bettors will place about $3.3 billion on the combined tournaments this year. The projection arrived in a report released Friday and reflects steady growth in regulated sports betting markets.

Industry analysts point to both wider legalization and growing comfort among bettors who now use licensed sportsbooks rather than offshore sites.

According to the AGA, projected betting volume for the college basketball tournaments climbed from $3.1 billion last year. Over a three year period, handle estimates for the event have jumped by about 54%.

Leaders within the gaming industry view the tournament season as a centerpiece moment for sports betting engagement.

Bill Miller, president and CEO of the AGA, said:

“March Madness is the highlight of the college basketball season, and fans are gearing up for a month of tournament action,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the AGA. “Fans continue to engage with legal, state-, and tribal-regulated sports betting in record numbers during one of the biggest moments on the sports calendar.”

March Madness now ranks among the largest wagering events in the United States sports calendar. The competition stretches across three weeks and features more than 100 games between the men tournament and the women tournament.

Every year the bracket format drives high engagement. Bettors place wagers on individual games, futures markets, and bracket outcomes as teams advance through multiple rounds.

Research firm H2 Gaming Capital predicts that betting activity tied to March Madness could climb even higher than AGA estimates. Analysts forecast a potential $4 billion wagered through legal sportsbooks operating across 39 U.S. states.

That estimate only includes regulated sportsbooks and does not account for prediction market trading on federally regulated exchanges.

The scale of betting activity becomes clearer when compared with another major sports event. The AGA projected $1.76 billion in wagers on the Super Bowl earlier this year.

Even though the Super Bowl stands as the most bet single game annually, the extended structure of the NCAA tournaments leads to a larger cumulative betting total.

More than 100 games occur across the men tournament and the women tournament before the season reaches the Final Four in early April. Each round creates fresh betting markets, keeping sportsbooks busy for weeks.