Best March Madness Betting Promos: Claim Over $2K in Bonus Bets

The excitement of March Madness is here, and many sportsbooks are offering special bonuses for the NCAA tournament. New players can sign up for online sports betting sites and receive over $2K in sign up bonuses.

We’ll preview some of the best games for the first round of the 2025 NCAA tournament and detail the best sportsbook promos you can take advantage of to enhance your March Madness betting experience.

Best March Madness Betting Promos

Here are the top four March Madness betting offers in 2025:

1. BetMGM March Madness Promo: $1,500 Back if First Bet Loses

New users can take advantage of the BetMGM March Madness offer at one of the longest-running sportsbooks in the world, which has competitive odds and plenty of live sports betting markets. The BetMGM NCAA tourney bonus gives new players up to $1,500 back if their first bet loses. The BetMGM bonus code is FWMGM.

2. Bet365 March Madness Promo: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets

The Bet365 promo for March Madness lets new customers receive $150 in bonus bets when they sign up and place a bet of $5 or more. Just use Bet365 bonus code USBET when registering your account and deposit at least $10. After your first bet settles, you’ll receive $150 in bonus bets.

3. DraftKings March Madness Promo: Bet $5, Get $150 Instantly

New users can sign up on DraftKings and place a $5 bet to receive $150 in bonus bets instantly. Unlike many other bet-and-get March Madness bonuses, the DraftKings promo is awarded regardless of whether the first bet wins or loses. No DraftKings promo code is required to claim the bonus.

4. FanDuel March Madness Promo: Bet $5, Get $200 if First Bet Wins

The FanDuel promo for the NCAA tournament gives new customers $200 in bonus bets if their first bet on the platform wins. Users simply need to deposit and bet $5+ and place a bet on any March Madness game. If that bet is successful, $200 in bonus bet will awarded. No FanDuel promo code is required.

No matter which sportsbook you choose, you’ll find that claiming the NCAA tournament offer is relatively simple. We have included a step-by-step general process to help you get your March Madness bonus bets as quickly as possible:

1. Identify the March Madness promo you like from above and visit the sportsbooks’ mobile site or download the app.
2. Create your account as a new customer and fill out the appropriate information, including entering any promo or bonus code when prompted.
3. Make your first qualifying deposit, usually $5 or $10.
4. Search for a March Madness NCAA basketball game to wager on and place a qualifying bet (typically $5+).
5. Once your bet is settled, bonus bets will be credited to your account.
6. Bonus bets normally expire after 7 days.

Here are some of the best games to keep an eye on in the first round of the 2025 NCAA men’s college basketball tournament. These are games you can bet on with the promos above.

Mar. 20th – 4:35 pm | No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs (+6.5)

It’s Bulldogs against Bulldogs as Gonzaga and Georgia battle in Wichita, Kansas, this Thursday afternoon. Gonzaga (25-8) is a 6.5-point favorite and has been in every NCAA tournament since 1999. Gonzaga has reached the Regional Semifinal or better in the last four seasons under longtime coach Mark Few.

Meanwhile, Georgia is playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015, when the Bulldogs advanced to the second round. They are one of a record 14 SEC teams to qualify for the field of 68 teams this year, as the SEC had an incredible regular season.

Georgia (20-12) doesn’t excel at either end of the court, but the team is battle-tested in the SEC and has impressive wins this season over Florida, St. John’s, and Kentucky.

Gonzaga ranks No. 2 in the nation with 86.6 points per game, led by forward Graham Ike’s average of 17.1 points per game. Gonzaga tied its season low with 58 points against Saint Mary’s in the West Coast Conference championship game, but that was the third time Saint Mary’s held Gonzaga under 70 points this season. The rest of the schedule has done that once to the Bulldogs.

Mar. 20th – 10:00 pm | No. 5 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 12 UC San Diego Tritons (+2.5)

It is well known among college basketball fans and bettors that March Madness is ripe for a No. 12 seed upsetting a No. 5 seed. Sometimes, it happens multiple times in the same tournament. One of the matchups that could be the closest this year is when Michigan faces UC San Diego in Denver, Colorado, on Thursday night.

The Wolverines (25-9) had a nice year in the Big Ten, but they are only a 2.5-point favorite here despite just winning the Big Ten Tournament with wins over Purdue, Maryland, and Wisconsin. Some feel that a No. 5 seed is also insulting given The Wolverines’ strong finish to the season.

But we’ll see how the Wolverines fare against a Tritons team that is 30-4 in the Big West. They are statistically as good as any defense in the nation this year, ranked No.1 in Defensive Rating and No. 6 in points allowed per game (61.6). They’ll face better competition this week, but the Wolverines are not an elite shooting team.

This could be a good game for bettors favoring the under since it could turn into a tight, defensive slugfest.

Mar. 21st – 2:50 pm | No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. TBD

We don’t know yet which team will face the No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils as a No. 16 seed. That will be determined after the First Four teams complete their games. But the story with Duke is that they are the odds-on favorite to win the whole March Madness tournament this year with their elite rankings on both ends of the court.

But while there’s little doubt they’ll cruise to victory in their opening-round game this Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina, it will be interesting to see if star Cooper Flagg is healthy enough to play after injuring his ankle last week.

Flagg’s playing status is one to monitor not just for the spread of this game but also for any futures bets on who will win the 2025 national championship. Without a healthy Flagg, Duke is unlikely to go as far as it should.

Mar. 21st – 10:00 pm | No. 8 UConn Huskies vs. No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners (+5.5)

Not many people are hyping up a three-peat opportunity for the UConn Huskies after a 23-10 regular season that landed them a No. 8 seed. A seed that low has done a championship run before, but it’s very unlikely to happen this year with so many good teams in the field. UConn was a No. 4 seed in 2023 and a No. 1 seed last year when winning the championship.

But let’s see what UConn can do as the back-to-back defending champions. They get a good test from Oklahoma, a 6.5-point underdog at most sportsbooks this week. The Sooners finished 20-13 in the SEC and have a respectable offense led by the 33.0 points per game combined from Jeremiah Fears and Jalon Moore.

Oklahoma is 6-1 in games played at neutral sites this season, while the Huskies are just 2-4 in such contests.

There’s nothing quite like March Madness. The Cinderella stories, the buzzer beaters, and the unexpected stars. Those who want to bet on NCAA tournament games can claim over $2,000 in bonuses for the action.