March Madness handle is expected to decline this year, compared to 2024, according to estimates by H2 Gambling Capital. Here the research firm breaks down handle and GGR growth rates and how March Madness might influence them.
The March Madness NCAA men’s and women’s basketball first round kicked off last week, signalling the start of the most bet-on event in the US sporting calendar. Although the Super Bowl remains the one-off game receiving the most bets across US sports, with an estimated $1.6 billion bet on Super Bowl LIX, basketball remains over a third of overall US betting handle.
This tournament typically presents operators with a great opportunity to grow their customer base and give handle a welcome boost for the three-week period.
H2 Gambling Capital has estimated a total of 169 million bets will be placed during March Madness this year, resulting in handle for the event reaching $2.9 billion. This implies a slight decline of 1.5% from the prior year’s tournament, follow..