Here we are, in late February of 2025, and NCAA College Football and the National Football League seasons are in the rearview mirror, Major League Baseball is a month or more away, and the NBA and NHL are slogging through the regular season.
But there is that glimmer of hope on the horizon, as March Madness is right around the corner.
March Madness has now creeped into late February, as some of the smaller men’s basketball conferences have started to take advantage of the expanded television and streaming coverage to play their tournaments before the big boys step onto the stage. What that means is nearly six weeks of madness for sports bettors in Ohio, who now get to experience the hectic days during the tournaments. Yes, the Super Bowl is big: but this is game after game after game, day after day after day, of complete chaos.
And guess what? The sportsbooks of Ohio give you all kinds of offers to help you make some free money.
Here are some of the best offers from Ohio sportsbooks ahead of March Madness
| BetMGM | $1,000 Free Bet |
| Caesars Ohio | $1,250 Back on 1st March Madness |
| bet365 Ohio March Madness 2023 Bonus | $200 in free bet |
BetMGM Ohio March Madness: $1,000 Free Bet
Here’s how to claim the offer:
- Sign up for a new BetMGM Sportsbook account.
- Make your first deposit for at least $10.
- Make your first bet risk-free for up to $1,000
Caesars Ohio $1,250 Back on 1st March Madness
The Caesars Sportsbook March Madness offer gives new customers up to $1,250 plus 1,000 Reward Credits and 1,000 Tier Credits. Here’s how the deal works:
- Sign up for Caesars Sportsbook..
- Make your first deposit for at least $20.
- Get back up to $1,250 plus 1,000 Reward Credits and 1,000 Tier Credits.
Bet 365 Ohio March Madness Promo 2025
The bet365 Sportsbook March Madness betting offers gives new customers $200 in free bets if you wager $1 on any March Madness outcome.
- Sign up for a new bet 365 Sportsbook account.
- Make your first deposit for at least $10.
- Make your first bet and get up to $200 in free bets to use during the tournament.
Most sportsbooks will also have bet boosts, super boosts, and various promotions around the games once the bracket is set in early March. You will be able to find various wagers, some which are akin to giving bettors free money. For example, you might get a $25 free bet if a team scores a point in the game: of course some team has to score a point!
NCAA Tournament Venues and Hosts 2025
| Round | City | Venue | Dates | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Four | Dayton, Ohio | UD Arena | March 18 – 19 | University of Dayton |
| First/Second | Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena | March 20 – 22 | University of Kentucky |
| First/Second | Providence, RI | Amica Mutual Pavilion | March 20 – 22 | Providence College |
| First/Second | Seattle, WA | Climate Pledge Arena | March 21 – 23 | University of Washington |
| First/Second | Wichita, KS | Intrust Bank Arena | March 20 – 22 | Wichita State University |
| First/Second | Cleveland, OH | Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse | March 21 – 23 | Mid-American Conference |
| First/Second | Denver, CO | Ball Arena | March 20 – 22 | Mountain West Conference |
| First/Second | Milwaukee, WI | Fiserv Forum | March 21 – 23 | Marquette University |
| First/Second | Raleigh, NC | PNC Arena | March 21 – 23 | North Carolina State University |
| East Regional | Newark, NJ | Prudential Center | March 27 – 29 | Seton Hall University |
| West Regional | San Francisco, CA | Chase Center | March 27 – 29 | Pac-12 Conference |
| South Regional | Atlanta, GA | State Farm Arena | March 28 – 30 | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Midwest Regional | Indianapolis, IN | Lucas Oil Stadium | March 28 – 30 | IUPUI/Horizon League |
So which team will you take to win the tournament?
The teams that win this tournament are not 10 seeds, or even 6 seeds: at the end of the night on the first Monday in April, the team standing on top of the podium is usually a 1 seed, and a Blue Blood.
In the past 17 tournaments, 13 of the winners have been a top seed, and all were from power conferences. The ACC has won seven of those 17 titles (UNC 3, Duke 2, Louisville and Virginia 1), one less than all the rest combined. In fact, the lone title in the last five decades that has been from a team outside the Blue Bloods was UNLV in 1990, and that team had three future NBA players.
So if you are looking for a tip, pick one of the top line teams to win, and you will probably cash.
Best Ohio Sportsbook Free Bet Offers for March Madness 2025
bet365Bet365 Ohio Sportsbook: Get $1,000 Safety Net OR $150 in Bet Bonus with $5 bet
betMGMbetMGM Ohio Bonus: Get up to $1,500 in bet bonus
CaesarsCaesars Ohio Bonus: Get up to $1000
