An exhilarating time of the year for sports fans, March Madness is upon us, and BetOnline is back with a signature promotion that offers a ton for eligible college basketball fans. Per its site, the $200,000 Bracket Madness Contest opens for pre-purchase of entries on Thursday, February 5th, 2026, and closes on March 19th, 2026, at 12:15 pm ET. The bracket officially opens for selections on Sunday, March 15th, 2026, at 9:00 pm ET and closes on Thursday, March 19th, 2026, at 12:30 pm ET. Moreover, the Contest begins with the First Round of the 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 19th, 2026. Once you submit your selections, customers can change their picks at any time until the bracket submission deadline at 12:30 pm ET on Thursday, March 19th, 2026.
For this report, SBS will be going over the latest gaming news coming from BetOnline, along with a variety of other notes and updates you can find only at SBS. Of course, there is also information in this report about college basketball wagering for eligible customers as well.
Going off the same report on the site, if a customer’s bracket is not completed or fully filled out by 12:30 pm ET on Thursday, March 19th, 2026, their entry will be void and eliminated from the contest. Contestants can enter the $200,000 Bracket Madness Contest up to 20 times and will receive a discounted rate on additional entries based on the table at the site. For instance, the first entry is $20, while the 11th to 20th entries are $5 each. Entries may only be purchased with real cash funds. All entry purchases will be deducted from your BetOnline cash balance, the site reports.
If a customer does not purchase all 20 entries, they can come back and purchase more entries at any time until the deadline, which is Thursday, March 19th, 2026, at 12:15 pm ET. Registration for the contests is only available online; the report notes that customers cannot register via phone, chat, or email. All sales are final, and refunds are only offered if the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is cancelled.
For this contest, one point is awarded for every correct selection in the first round, while two points are good for each correct selection in the second round. After that, four points are given out and then eight points for each correct selection in the Elite 8. Finally, 16 points are rewarded in the Final Four, plus 32 points for picking the winner of the Championship Game.
Moving on, the report page notes, the 2026 Bracket Madness Contest features an accumulating prize, starting with a guaranteed $200,00 cash prize in the prize pool. Winners will receive a percentage of the prize pool based on their finishing position, starting with a guaranteed pot of $200,000. The top 1,250 will win prizes and the cash prize pool is divided based on the table at the site. For first place, the prize is $50,000, while second place is good for $25,000. Moreover, third nets you $10,000, while fourth is good for $5,000, and fifth place locks down $4,000. These cash prize accumulation prizes go all the way until 1,250th place, which locks down $30.
In the event that the tie-breaker is necessary, participants will be ranked based on having the closest answer to the Total Points Scored in the Championship Game. Additionally, the page notes that if various participants remain in a tie after the tie-breaker, the winnings will be split along with the next lowest prize. For example, if two contestants tie for first with 160 points, they will split the first and second place prizes. The participant with the next highest point total will win the third-place prize. Moreover, winnings are awarded as cash with no rollover requirements.
Participants must purchase at least one entry to participate in the $200,000 Bracket Madness Contest. After purchasing entries, players can view and edit their entries in the “My Brackets” section. Per the site, participants must pick the winners of all 63 games in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, beginning with the First Round. Once the 63 picks are made, enter a Tie Breaker prediction and click the SAVE button to submit their picks. If a customer does not click the SAVE button, their selections will not be submitted for the contest. Finally, points will be awarded for each correct pick.
After you are all up to speed in relation to the latest gaming news and notes coming from BetOnline, make sure to check out the excellent array of info for you only at SBS. Of course, for even more analysis on the topic in this report, the BetOnline sportsbook review guide is a must-read resource that goes over all kinds of great updates from the outlet, along with the latest gaming promo news. Additionally, for those interested in the other topic in this article, college basketball, the NCAAB betting sites rundown is an excellent page as well that goes over the latest markets in college hoops and beyond. Finally, for those on the go and who are eligible, the best betting apps breakdown is a fantastic resource that covers the perks of mobile betting sites and how you can stay on top of the action.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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