Bet365 $10 Million Bracket Challenge: Free March Madness Contest

In 2023, 56.3 million Americans participated in a March Madness bracket contest. Many of them likely played for free with friends and coworkers or only won a small prize for winning their pool. 

What if we told you there was a free bracket with a $10 million prize? With Bet365’s Bracket Challenge, users can enter their NCAA Tournament predictions for a chance to win up to $10 million if they submit a perfect bracket. 

How to Participate in Bet365’s Bracket Challenge 

Bet365’s Bracket Challenge is available to any new or existing user with a Bet365 account. 

legal betting age, located in a state where sports betting is legalized and physically present in a state where Bet365 operates. Those states are Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia.

This promotion starts on Sunday, March 17, after the field of 68 teams is announced for the NCAA Tournament. Once the teams are revealed, you can submit your bracket and enter the contest. 

What Can I Win in Bet365’s Bracket Challenge? 

The participant with the highest score in the bracket challenge will win $100,000. The top 5,000 participants will also win prizes. 

The prize breakdown is as follows:

• First Place: $100,000
• Second Place: $25,000
• Third Place: $10,000
• Fourth Place: $5,000
• Fifth Place: $1,000

Additionally, anyone who fills out a perfect bracket will win $10 million. Don’t hold your breath, though, as nobody has ever filled out a perfect bracket before.  

You’ll earn points for each correct pick you make. The more picks you get right, the more points you earn. Correct picks in later rounds are worth more than earlier rounds, so you’ll earn more points if you correctly guess a team to go far in the tournament.

Scoring for the bracket challenge is as follows:

• Round of 64: 10 points
• Round of 32: 20 points
• Sweet Sixteen: 40 points
• Elite Eight: 80 points
• Final Four: 160 points
• Final: 320 points

Like most bracket challenges, it’s important to win games later in the tournament. While winning a bunch of games in the Round of 64 is nice, it won’t mean as much if your championship winner goes down early, so be careful about picking lower seeds to go far.

Can I Bet on March Madness at Bet365? 

Yes. Along with being able to participate in Bet365’s Bracket Challenge, users can also bet on March Madness at the sportsbook. 

Bettors interested in betting on March Madness at Bet365 can wager on spreads, moneylines and totals for all 67 games of the tournament. You can also combine multiple bets to create a parlay, especially in the earlier rounds when there are more games to wager on.

Bettors in some states can also bet on college player props. Some states prohibit these types of wagers, however, so they may not be available in certain areas.

Bet365 is a one-stop shop for every March Madness bet, regardless of whether you want to bet on an underdog or a game with a close spread that could end in a buzzer-beater.

If you don’t have an existing account with Bet365, you can register by clicking on this link or on one of the banners on this page.

New customers at Bet365 can choose between two welcome offers. 

The first option is a “First Bet Safety Net” promo. If your first bet loses, you’ll receive the full amount (up to $1,000) in “bonus” bets. It’s like a refund.

The second option is a “Bet $5 Get $150” offer, which gives you $150 in bonus bets after you place your first wager of at least $5. You do not need to win your wager to receive the bonus bets.

• Enter a few personal details like email address, date of birth and social security number.
• Use the promo code FORBES if you’re located in the United States. If you’re located in Canada, use the code FORBESCAN.
• Deposit at least $10 in your account. 
• Once that’s deposited, pick which offer you prefer.

For the “First Bet Safety Net” promo, you will only receive a bonus bet if your first wager loses. If it wins, you’ll receive your winnings in cash, but no bonus bets.

For the “Bet $5 Get $150” offer, wager $5+ with odds of -500 or longer on any sport to receive your bonus bets. You’ll automatically receive your bonus bets once your wager settles, win or lose. 

Photo by Anthony Neste/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images