March Madness bracket contests are one of the most exciting parts of the NCAA Tournament, and there are only a few hours left before these contests close and the tournament tips off! Every year, sportsbooks and gaming platforms roll out massive prize pools and free-to-enter competitions that give fans a shot at winning big.
Last year, there was over $10 million in prizes available for the March Madness bracket!
With Selection Sunday behind us, 2026 contest details are emerging, including a $1 million prize from DraftKings and a $10 million jackpot from bet365. Bookmark this page and check back often as we update it with the latest information about free-to-enter contests for March Madness 2026 as soon as sportsbooks release their official promotions.
2026 March Madness bracket challenges
Sportsbooks typically unveil their March Madness bracket contests in the weeks leading up to Selection Sunday. While we don’t yet know the full details for 2026, you can expect new prize pools, updated rules, and fresh ways to compete once announcements go live.
Until then, last year’s contests have wrapped up, and prize structures for 2026 are still to be confirmed. We’ll keep this section fully up to date as soon as operators publish their latest offers.
As always, expect opportunities to win cash, bonus bets, gift cards, and other prizes with no entry fee at March Madness betting sites. Be sure to come back and lock in your picks once the brackets are set! You can also sign up for new sportsbook accounts, unlock March Madness promos and sign-up bonuses, and then bet on March Madness odds.
| Contest | Prize | Entry Cost | Welcome Bonus | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Up to $1 Billion | Free | $10 Trading Bonus | COVERS |
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$100K Prize Pool | Free | Play $5, Get A $75 Fantasy Bonus | COVERS |
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$1 Million | Free | Bet $5, Get $200 Instantly | No code |
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$10 Million Bracket Challenge | Free | Bet $10, Get $365, Win or Lose | 'COVERS' or 'CVSBONUS' (CO, NJ & PA only) |
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$5 Million Tournament Pick'Em | Free | Get 10 100% Profit Boots | COVERSBONUSDYW |
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🍁Over $1,200 In Sports Bonus🍁 | Free | $500 First Bet Encore | COVERSBONUS |
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$25,000 cash | Free | N/A | N/A |
(Not available to residents of Ontario)
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Kalshi Billion Dollar Bracket
Kalshi’s Billion Dollar Bracket contest lets users submit a tournament bracket directly on its platform. To participate, users must create an account, verify their identity, be 18 or older, and submit one bracket per person before the tournament begins.
The promotion offers $1 billion for a perfect bracket, one of the largest prizes ever tied to March Madness. Because a perfect bracket is extremely unlikely, Kalshi guarantees $1 million to the best overall bracket if no one achieves perfection. The grand prize is insured by SIG Parametrics, ensuring the payout would be covered if someone wins.
New users are also eligible for a Kalshi promo code welcome bonus. Just sign up with code COVERS.
Underdog Bracket Battle
The Underdog Bracket Battle is a free-to-play March Madness bracket contest where users fill out a full NCAA tournament bracket (63 picks) for a chance to win a share of $100,000 in cash prizes. To enter, users must submit one bracket through the Underdog app before the first game tips off and have a verified account in an eligible state.
Scoring is based on how many picks you get correct throughout the tournament, with higher totals ranking better against other participants. There’s no entry fee, and each user is limited to one bracket. Overall, it’s a straightforward bracket competition—submit your picks before the deadline, earn points for correct selections, and compete on the leaderboard for a share of the prize pool.
New users signing up with the Underdog promo code COVERS can also take advantage of the Play $5, Get $50 offer that awards a fantasy bonus with your first play of $5 or more!
DraftKings March Mania Survivor Pool
DraftKings is running a new March Madness promotion called the March Mania Survivor Pool, giving players the chance to compete for a $1,000,000 grand prize during the NCAA Men’s Tournament.
The contest is free to play and allows one entry per customer. Participants must submit their entry before the tip-off of the first game of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Tournament. If multiple participants successfully complete the challenge, the $1,000,000 grand prize will be split among the winners.
This survivor-style contest adds another layer of excitement to March Madness, letting fans follow the tournament while competing for one of the biggest promotional prizes available during the event.
For full eligibility requirements, entry rules, and contest details, visit the official contest terms.
New users at DraftKings can score $200 bonus bets with the Bet $5, Get $200 DraftKings promo code offer.
bet365 $10 Million Bracket Challenge
bet365's $10 Million Challenge is back for 2026 with $10 Mil up for grabs for a perfect bracket. Since perfection is hard to come by, bet365 will give the entrant with the most points in their bracket $100,000, with more prizes available for the top 5000 entrants in the contest!
New users could also claim a bonus after placing a small qualifying bet using the bet356 bonus code COVERS. This year’s bracket challenge structure, prize pool, and promotional offers may differ once officially announced.
Caesars $5 Million Tournament Pick'Em
The Caesars $5 Million Tournament Pick’Em Challenge is a free-to-enter March Madness promo in which users make predictions throughout the tournament for a chance to win rewards. Players must submit 50 total picks across 10 selection periods (5 picks each), and rewards are earned based on how many picks they get correct. Hitting milestones unlocks perks like profit boosts and bonus bets, which are credited within 24 hours and increase in value as more correct picks are accumulated.
The top prize comes from perfection: anyone who gets all 50 picks correct splits $5 million in bonus bets. Along the way, smaller rewards range from profit boosts (with capped wagers and winnings) to bonus bets worth up to $10,000 for 45 correct picks. The promotion runs from March 16 to April 6, 2026, and all rewards (bonus bets and boosts) must be used within 7 days, with bonus bet stakes not returned on wins.
New users who sign up with Caesars Sportsbook promo code COVERSBONUSDYW get to claim 10 100% profit boosts with their first $1 bet.
BET99 One Shining Bracket
BET99’s One Shining Bracket contest invites customers to submit an NCAA March Madness bracket through Yahoo before the first tournament game on March 19, 2026. The contest is open to existing BET99 users who created an account by that date, and each participant may submit only one bracket. Winners are determined using the standard Yahoo bracket scoring system, with prizes awarded to the top 10 finishers and tied participants sharing prizes if necessary.
The prize pool includes $500, $250, and $150 sport bonus bets plus 50 bonus spins for the top three, followed by smaller bonus bets for fourth through tenth place. Sport bonus bets must be used within 7 days, while bonus spins (worth $0.20 each) expire after 5 days and can only be used on the BET99 Bonanza slot game. Any winnings from spins become withdrawable cash after the spins are used.
Covers $25K Tourney Challenge
Pick 16 games from Round 1 of March Madness when you submit your entry. Nail all 16, and you’ll win the full $25,000 jackpot. Yep—every dollar. The contest stays open until Friday at 12:15 p.m. EST, so you can lock in your picks anytime from Monday, March 16, up until tipoff on Friday, March 20. Enter the Covers $25 March Tourney Challenge today or read our full rules, terms, and conditions.
March Madness bracket contests FAQs
Sportsbooks, media companies and brands of all kinds offer lucrative bonuses & prizes for contest entries. Most award prizes to the bracket with the most correct picks.
The best free bracket challenges to enter include those from regulated sportsbooks in your region and offer huge prizes for winners.
A variety of cash and prizes ranging from $3,500 to $100,000 in value will be awarded to contest winners. Some contests offer millions of dollars for a perfect bracket.
Residents of legal betting age in Canada and the United States can enter these contests. Make sure to read the terms and conditions before completing any entry forms.
