Is College Basketball DFS Legal in My State? March Madness Pick’em Guide

With March Madness tipping off today, the action gets underway with the TCU Horned Frogs taking on the Ohio State Buckeyes on CBS at 12:15 p.m. ET, marking the start of one of the most exciting stretches in college basketball. Let’s find out if DFS is legal in your state.

First, the good news: the majority of states have at least some DFS action available throughout the tournament. Many allow pick’em contests and salary cap drafts on apps like Underdog Fantasy, DraftKings, FanDuel, Betr, Chalkboard, Splash Sports, Sleeper, Dabble, Boom Fantasy, and more.

In fact, over 40 states have DFS options available to residents. Be sure to check your local rules, as most states require DFS players to be 18 or older, while some have minimum ages of 19 or 21.

There are numerous options available for interested parties. Check out SBD’s list of the best welcome offers and promo codes below:

Where DFS is Offline for March Madness 2026

Unfortunately, a handful of states — primarily in the Northwest — either fully prohibit paid DFS contests or enforce regulations strict enough that most major platforms have chosen not to operate there. If you’re in one of these areas during March Madness, your options will likely be limited to free-to-play contests only.

States with total bans: Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Hawaii
Highly restricted states: Connecticut and Delaware, where traditional salary cap DFS contests are often limited to select, licensed operators

Nevada remains one of the more ironic cases in the sports landscape. Despite being known as the betting capital of the world, the state requires DFS operators to obtain a full gaming license — something most DFS-focused platforms have opted against — keeping them out of the market for years.

Summary of Availability for March Madness

Ready to get in on the action and score some great bonuses for March Madness? Click any of the boxes below to claim your welcome offers from some of the top DFS apps in the country: