Online Brackets For Money
Online bracket pools typically are much larger with all different buy-in sizes. You might have a bracket pool online with the same $20 buy-in, but it might have 1000 people in it. That means the total prize pool is $20,000 and first place is probably getting somewhere around $5,000 with the top 10% of finishers getting something. To add the brackets you need, go to the Add Shape drop-down menu which you can find on the Design tab. Choose the shape you want and position it as needed. Keep on adding brackets until you reach the number you need for your blank bracket template. Align the brackets and connect them with lines.
This article was last updated in 2020. Check back for a list of the best free March Madness pools in 2021!
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, or March Madness, is upon us once again. The annual event also heralds the fact that bracket contests are running all over the place. We’ve combed through them, and found the five best FREE March Madness bracket contests.
FanDuel Sportsbook Bracket Madness
In 2019, FanDuel Sportsbook awarded $250,000 to those who scored the highest in the site’s March Madness bracket competition. The top bracket won a massive prize of $100,000.
This contest was both completely free to enter and open to residents in all 50 states. In order to play, all one had to do was register for a free FanDuel account. Then, make sure to fill out a bracket before tip-off in the first round of the tournament.
We expect another big bracket contest from FanDuel in 2021, so stay tuned.
DraftKings Sportsbook Brackets
DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the top online sportsbooks in the US right now. So, it’s fitting that the site has opened its app to the entire country for March Madness.
Brackets is a free-to-enter March Madness contest that promises big bucks for a group of players. Anyone in the US can join the contest. In 2019, participants compete for their share of $64,000.
Additionally, players in New Jersey had an additional opportunity to win big money. For only $20, Garden Staters had the opportunity to play for a separate $100,000 prize pool.
Register at DraftKings to get into the action in 2021. There’s literally no reason not to try it.
Yahoo Best Bracket Millionaire
Yahoo Sports annually offers one of the simplest and most direct bracket contests available. Like other “mainstream” sites, however, there is less divvying of the prize pool.
As its name implies, Yahoo’s Best Bracket Millionaire contest will award the top bracket a cool million dollars. To that end, there are no catches — the rules even mention a lump-sum check for $1 million.
However, that’s the only prize that Yahoo! is offering to its players. So, to paraphrase Maverick, there’s going to be an awful lot of broken hearts at the end of the contest.
Nevertheless, it’s a free shot at a million bucks, so why not take it? After all, somebody has to win.
ESPN – Tournament Challenge
ESPN unsurprisingly has its own tournament challenge. In 2019, the “worldwide leader” awarded $22,950 in prizes to players in the contest.
However, ESPN is also the most corporate of sports organizations. So, fittingly, its corporate relationships preclude it from the largesse of some of the other contests.
In fact, according to the contest rules, ESPN must award prizes that are both somewhat randomly distributed and are not actually cash. So, the combination of a Hawaii trip and site subscriptions are the basis of the company’s prize pool.
First prize for ESPN’s Tournament Challenge in 2019 was a five-night trip for two to the Maui Jim Invitational basketball tournament in 2020. The prize also included $10,000 in Amazon gift cards.
The prize winner was picked from a random drawing of the top brackets in the contest. ESPN selected from the top 1 percent of returns to generate a winner.
Additionally, 60 randomly-drawn players in the top 3 groups won ESPN+ subscriptions.
What will ESPN offer in its Tournament Challenge in 2021? We’ll update you here as soon as we know.
Caesars March Pick’em Challenge
Caesars Casino offered an excellent prize giveaway for March Madness in 2019. Unfortunately, the March Pick’em Challenge was only available in New Jersey, so it bears only an honorable mention on this list.
Nevertheless, those who are in or near the Garden State could compete for more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. In fact, everyone who filled out a bracket on the Caesars was awarded a free $20 sports bet.
As with other bracket contests, players accrued points based upon their correct selections in their brackets. Caesars awarded prizes using a simple leaderboard.
The first-place finisher won an outstanding prize – a $250 sports bet every week for an entire year! Second place received a similar deal, only for $100 per week. And the third-place finisher got a Las Vegas vacation.
Other prizes included smaller, single free bets and stays at Caesars Atlantic City.
The NCAA Tournament field is set! Millions will take part in office pools this season. We have tracked down the top online March Madness contests with the best prizes. Most are free to join!
List of 2019 March Madness Bracket Challenges to Fill Out & Prizes
Yahoo Sports
If you enter just one bracket challenge this year, do yourself a favor and submit it at Yahoo. This year’s challenge is known referred to as the “Best Bracket Millionaire.” No more pick a perfect bracket and win at million bucks. Simply finish with the best score on Yahoo’s site and receive a check for $1,000,000.
ESPN
ESPN’s Tournament Challenge gives you a chance to win a a trip for two to the 2019 Maui Invitational. That includes roundtrip airfare, 5 night hotel accommodations and tickets to all sessions. On top of that, they throw in a $10,000 Amazon.com gift card.
There is one downside to this challenge. The grand prize does not go to the contestant with the highest score. There will be a random drawing from top 1% of all entrants to determine the winner.
CBS Sports
Compete in CBS Sports Bracket Challenge for a Final Four package worth $10,000. The winner gets 4 tickets to the 2020 Final Four games (semifinals and championship). As well as $6,000 cash for hotel/airfare. Like ESPN, the top bracket doesn’t guarantee you the prize. CBS takes the top 10% of all submissions and selects the grand prize winner at random.
Fox Sports/Sports Illustrated
Win the “Cousin Sal Bets the House Bracket Challenge” and take home a check for $10,000. While that’s just a fraction of what Yahoo is offering for their winner, pick a perfect bracket and you will get the keys to ‘Cousin Sal’s house in Manhattan Beach, California. For those wondering, the house is estimated to be worth $4.5 million.
NCAA.com
The official site of college sports is in on the action. Enter the “Capital One NCAA March Madness Bracket Challenge” and compete for some cool prizes.
USA Today
Find out if you have what it takes to earn the title “Office Champ” by entering the USA Today pool. Not the best of prizes, but USA Today is expected to hand out five $1,000 Visa gift cards in a random drawing for those top participants that qualify.
Jiffy Tickets
Jiffy Tickets is definitely one I recommend taking part in. They pay out in gift cards of your choice (great selection) for the top ten finishers in their contest.
- 1st Place: $1,000
- 2nd Place: $500
- 3rd Place: $300
- 4th-10th Place: $100
Alumni Hall
Looking for some new apparel to support your favorite team? Join the Alumni Hall Bracket Challenge. They are giving away gift card (to their site) to the top 10 contestants.
Bokampers Bracket
A perfect bracket in this contest will net you $1,000,000. Anyone who can get 60+ games right will receive $25,000 in cash. If neither of those are hit, the bracket champion will take home a 60″ HDTV, while 2nd place gets a $200 gift card.
MarchMadnet
Win cash by taking down the top spot in the March Mandet Challenge. Unlike other contests, they offer you a chance to redeem yourself if you get off to a bad start.
Old Chicago
Finish with the highest score in the Old Chicago contest and win a trip for two to the 1st and 2nd rounds of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations and a $500 visa.
March Fever
March Fever is giving away some serious cash to anyone who can own the bracket this year. Get every game right and walk away with $1,00,000. Get 61 or 62 games correct and take home $10,000.
RotoGuru
This fantasy sports site is offering up $5,000 to anyone who gets within 1% of the best possible score.
The PantaGraph
Enter of a chance to win a La-Z-Boy Kennedy Sofa
NBC Sports Washington
Online Bracket Sheet
Grand prize for this bracket challenge is a 3-night trip for four to Universal Orlando Rest. Includes roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, admission to Universal Studios, Island of Adventures and Volcano Bay Water Park, as well as tickets to see the Blue Man Group.
Top Online Sportsbooks NCAA Tournament Money Contests & Pool Payouts
5Dimes
This sportsbook offers some serious cash for anyone who picks a perfect bracket. The prize depends on what size pool you decide to join ($1, $5, $10 or $25). Anyone who plays in their $25 pool and picks a perfect bracket will receive a cool $25 million.
A perfect bracket pays $10 million in their $10 pool, $5 million in their $5 pool, and $1 million in their $1 pool. All you need is a 5Dimes account to get in on the action.
They are paying out 100% of all prize money for each pool and there’s no limit on the number of brackets you can fill out!
Bookmaker
Online Ncaa Brackets For Money
Bookmaker returns their $1 million perfect bracket contest for 2016. If nobody is perfect, they are also paying out a grand prize of $10,000 cash. Second place gets $5,000 and third takes $2,000. Not bad!
You must have a Bookmaker account to enter. You will receive one entry to the contest for every $100 deposited.
BetOnline
BetOnline users can’t pass up on their bracket contest. If you create a new account you can get up to $1,000 in a free play bonus! They are also bringing back the Bracket Challenge from last season. This contest features a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool ($3,500 to the winner)!
This year they are also giving an extra $1,000 to anyone who picks all Final Four teams. You must have an account to enter. Gain entry by placing a wager of $25 or more.
WagerWeb
WagerWeb offers $1 million to anyone with a perfect bracket this year. They are also paying the top 100 brackets. Prizes range from $5,000 to the winner to $10 for 51st through 100th place.
Online Bracket Pool
