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Detailed view of March Madness logo as we look at the best free March Madness bracket challenges.
Detailed view of March Madness logo during NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional-Practice at Little Caesars Arena. Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images.

The 2024 NCAA Tournament is in the books and bracket contests are closed, but we will have you covered with FREE March Madness bracket challenges for next year's event when things get underway!

Sportsbook Review tracked the March Madness odds throughout the 2023-24 season and offered our best college basketball picks. When the 2024-25 season gets underway, we'll do it all over again.

Even if you don't know how to bet on college basketball or fully understand the ins and outs of all the college basketball odds, there will be FREE March Madness bracket contests that offer plenty of excitement.

No one has ever assembled a perfect bracket (even your friends who love to tell you how close they've come). Maybe 2025 will be your year?

Free March Madness bracket contests 2024

Once you have your March Madness bracket complete, it will be time to test your picks and predictions against available FREE bracket challenges and contests from our best sports betting sites.

This is a snapshot of the 2024 contests that were available to new and experienced bettors alike. New bettors will almost certainly get an opportunity to take advantage of welcome offers again in 2025.

SportsbookContestPrizesEntryWelcome offer
bet365bet365 $10M Bracket ChallengeWin $10 million for a perfect bracket, $100K for bestEnter for FREEBet $5, Get 150 in Bonus Bets
FanDuelFanDuel $50K Tourney Shuffle'Em$50,000 in total prizes Enter for FREEWin a $5 Bet, Get $200 in Bonus Bets
DraftKingsDraftKings $100K Zero Right BracketWin $100,000Enter for FREEBet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets
BetRiversBetRivers Bracket Challenge$1,700 in Visa gift cardEnter for FREEGet a $500 Second-Chance Bet

Sportsbook Review also offered a free-to-play $25K Big Hoops Challenge!

bet365 Bracket Challenge

Bet365 offered a grand prize of $10 million for the elusive perfect bracket. The best bracket received a $100,000 consolation prize, and the top 5,000 entries received additional prizes.

FanDuel $50,000 Tourney Shuffle'Em

FanDuel offered $50,000 in total prizes for the user(s) who correctly picked the final four teams in the tournament. Once you signed up, you were given a card of randomly assigned regional winners and up to 20 shuffles to try to get your preferred combination of Final Four teams.

If you picked the correct four teams for the Final Four on April 6, you'd win a share of $50,000!

DraftKings Zero Right Bracket Challenge

DraftKings had a special spin on a bracket challenge, and it may have seemed much easier to many amateur bracketologists. The DraftKings Zero Right Bracket Challenge, presented by Pepsi, gave users a chance at $100,000 for a perfectly imperfect bracket. You just had to be sure to get zero picks correct in Round 1.

BetRivers Bracket Challenge

BetRivers gave away $1,700 in Visa gift cards with its free bracket challenge. Here's how the payouts break down:

  • First place: $600 Visa gift card
  • Second place: $300 Visa gift card
  • Third place: $200 Visa gift card
  • Fourth place: $100 Visa gift card

Ten bonus prizes of a $50 Visa gift card will be distributed to active users at random.

SBR's $25K Big Hoops Challenge

We offered a shot at the $25,000 jackpot and a guaranteed $500 in consolation prizes with our free-to-play Big Hoops Challenge.

Additional March Madness contests

  • ESPN Bracket Challenge: ESPN offered a share of $75,000! ESPN drew 10 random winners for a $5,000 grand prize. An additional 25 winners were drawn for a $1,000 prize.
  • Capital One/NCAA.com Bracket Challenge: Users could fill out up to 10 different brackets with a winner selected for every game. In partnership with the NCAA, Capital One also ran a "Starting Lineup" contest in which users pick teams and trade them throughout the tournament as their values change with each round.
  • Yahoo Fantasy $25K Tourney Pick 'Em: Yahoo runs one of the most popular bracket contests every year. Users simply need to pick the winners of each game to be eligible for the prize pool.

March Madness betting promos

March Madness betting promos are special offers and incentives that sportsbooks provide during the NCAA Tournament to attract bettors and enhance their betting experience. These promotions can take various forms, including deposit bonuses, free bets, odds boosts, and special contests or tournaments. Sportsbooks may offer increased odds on select games or players, allowing bettors to potentially earn higher payouts on their wagers.

Deposit bonuses are a common type of March Madness betting promo, with sportsbooks offering to match a percentage of a bettor's initial deposit up to a certain amount. Free bets provide bettors with an opportunity to place a wager without risking their own money, and the wagers are often given as a reward for making a qualifying bet or deposit. Additionally, sportsbooks may run special contests or tournaments during March Madness, such as bracket challenges or pick'em competitions that allow bettors to compete against each other for prizes.

March Madness betting promos are designed to add excitement and value to the tournament for bettors, incentivizing them to place more bets and engage with the event. These promotions can vary widely between sportsbooks, so bettors should shop around to find the best offers and take advantage of any opportunities to maximize their betting potential during March Madness. See our best sportsbook promos and March Madness betting promos here.

Here are our best March Madness betting sites:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission.

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