While the NBA is the biggest basketball league in the world, college basketball can pull even bigger ratings during some parts of the year. With betting on college basketball being legal in many states, sportsbooks have launched promotions to reward new customers who wager on college hoops with them. Here are some of the best options on the market and how to take advantage of them.
Why Use a College Basketball Betting Promo?
Promos for college basketball betting and betting on other sports can provide extra winnings, or help mitigate losses. Bonuses and promos are ultimately designed to reward users for creating a new account, and that can come in many different ways.
Whether it’s returning the stakes on a lost first bet or offering up bonus bets to keep the action going, online sportsbooks have many ways to approach this. Here are some of the potential benefits of using a betting promo on college basketball:
- Extra value on early wins
- Can help mitigate early losses
- Potential to add extra funds to your account
- The potential for better lines or profit boosts
Best College Basketball Betting Promotions
| NBA Sportsbook | Welcome Offer | Promo Code |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | Bet $5, Get $100 In Bonus Bets Instantly | Click To Claim |
| Caesars | Bet $1, Double Your Winnings 10x | CLICK TO CLAIM |
| FanDuel | Get $350 in Bonus Bets Guaranteed – When You Bet $5 for 7 Days | Click To Claim |
| BetMGM | Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Back if your First Bet Does Not Win | ATSBONUS1500 |
| bet365 | Bet $10, Get $200 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Deposit required. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. New Customers only. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. | |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | 10 x $100 Bet Match In FanCash | Click To Claim |
| BetRivers | BONUSPLAY |
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, CO, DC, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 1-800-NEXT-STEP AZ, 1-800-522-4700 KS, NV, 1-800-BETS-OFF IA, Call 1-800-981-0023 – PR Only, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help MI.
Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook is a leading sportsbook in America, with the entertainment company behind the Caesars, Harrah’s, and Horseshoe Casino chains partnering with European giant William Hill. In my use of Caesars Sportsbook, the thing that sticks out to me most is that they regularly offer profit boosts and parlay escalators beyond just what they offer with their welcome bonus. That provides extra value for college basketball bettors well beyond the use of the welcome bonus.
BetMGM
BetMGM is another resort and casino company that has pivoted to becoming a major player in the online sports betting world. The company offers a competitive bonus for new bettors looking to get involved with college basketball. Along with that, they regularly award players with profit boost tokens that can be used on upcoming college basketball games. In my experience, their bet limits for those boost tokens can be smaller than some sites, but that can vary depending on your account history as you get your feet wet at BetMGM.
bet365
A sportsbook that got its start overseas, bet365 has built a strong reuptation in the United States as well. They cover both American sports and international sports comprehensively, while their welcome bonus offers value to new users who want to get involved with college basketball matchups big and small. The ability to search out markets on specific games and sports is one of the highlights of using their app for me, along with the bonus mentioned above.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook offers a load of different promotions throughout the year to keep college basketball betting as exciting as possible. My one big concern with FanDuel is the lack of a loyalty program, where as many of the other sportsbooks on this list offer at least some sort of way to get rewarded for routinely placing wagers on college basketball and other sports. But routine profit boosts during college basketball season can help offset the lack of that loyalty program.
BetRivers
Rush Street Interactive’s BetRivers has a sportsbook offer that is worth taking advantage of during college basketball season. It is currently offering customers a Second chance bet up to $500 . The sportsbook also does a good job of incentivizing new users to keep the action rolling with its iRush Rewards program, which offers regular users profit boosts, bonus bets, and other incentives.
What Kind of Special Offers are Available to College Basketball Bettors?
There are a number of different types of bonuses that are offered up for College basketball betting, as well as other sports, as you can see above. These can be difficult to figure out for newcomers, especially since each sportsbook tends to come up with its own name for the same type of bonus. Here are some of the most common bonus offers, how they work, and some of the names they go by.
Bonus Bets
The go-to option for basically every sportsbook when it comes to welcome bonuses or rewards is the bonus bet. Bonus bets are used to place a wager and can earn winnings. These are distinct from actual credit on one’s account as they can’t be withdrawn outright and may have restrictions when it comes to withdrawing winnings.
Second Chance Bets
Second-chance bets are a type of bonus bet that are awarded after losing a bet. They’re a common type of welcome bonus, typically refunding the stake of a user’s first bet with a bonus bet. This type of bonus essentially gives bettors multiple chances to start their experience with a sportsbook with a win, though the bonus bets aren’t typically included in the payout amount for any wager.
Bet and Get
Some sportsbooks will offer larger payouts than usual on a bet. A recent example of these Bet and Get promos is DraftKings’ bet and get offer which turns a small initial wager into a larger amount of bonus bets that can be used to place additional wagers on that site.
How Do I Claim a College Basketball Sportsbook Bonus Offer?
Time needed: 9 minutes
Claiming a sportsbook promo for College basketball betting is a simple process. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process for those who need help.
- Visit a sportsbook from the list above
Check out the list of sportsbooks above and find the ones that call out to you. You can click the Claim Bonus button on any offer you wish to take advantage of in order to get started.
- Registration process
Once you pick out the right sportsbook for you, you can start creating an account. This requires the submission of personal information. Be sure to enter accurate personal information to ensure a legal, secure, and hassle-free experience. You will also have to enter a promo code for the offers that require one.
- Make a deposit
Most sportsbook bonuses require users to deposit before it can be activated. This can be done directly on the sportsbook, with each sportsbook having a variety of payment methods available. I recommend verifying that your preferred payment methods are available before you get started.
- Place your qualifying bet
Users can finalize their bonus by placing any required qualifying bets. From there, the bonuses being awarded will take place depending on the mechanics of each offer. Bet and get offers will be credited either instantly or once each wager has settled. First bet offers will be credited in the event that an initial wager loses.
How Bettors Use College Basketball Bonuses Strategically
Ultimately, the key to making money with sportsbook betting promos is to actually place successful bets. This might sound obvious, but the only way to turn a profit when betting on college basketball is to win. That makes it important to make sure that the bets being placed are smart and that they fit the offer you are taking advantage of.
For example, I recommend that bettors get a little more adventurous when placing offers with a first bet offer in place, as there is the potential for a higher payout and the reassurance that a loss will be reimbursed in bonus bets. But with bet and get offers, simply placing a winning initial bet is what matters, even on a heavy favorite.
As long as you are strategic with your wagers when taking advantage of sportsbook offers, you will give yourself the best chance possible to turn a profit this college basketball season. You can also utilize our college basketball best bets each day to get a second opinion on the action that is available throughout the 2026 season.
Editorial Note: Bonus offers, wagering mechanics, and state availability referenced in this guide were verified through sportsbook apps, published promotional terms, and publicly available state regulator guidance in active U.S. betting jurisdictions at the time of writing. Offers and eligibility can vary by state and may change.
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