DraftKings Sportsbook promo for the NCAA Tournament: Bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets

The NCAA Tournament begins this week as 68 teams vie for the national championship, and bettors who think they know which team will win it all can use the latest DraftKings promo code to sign up for the platform and earn $200 in bonus bets after an initial wager of $5. Auburn and Duke enter as the two top teams to beat, but plenty of other notable squads are prime contenders, such as Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Michigan State and St. John's. And, of course, keep an eye out for UConn, which has won the tournament each of the last two years. 

Let's break down the latest DraftKings promotion, how to claim it, how it compares to other sportsbooks' promos and then dive into the NCAA Tournament. 

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Bet $5, Get $200

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21+ and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WY, and WV (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH and where prohibited. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS).1 per new customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $200 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 3/30/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK. Data & text rates may apply. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).21+ and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WY, and WV (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH and where prohibited. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS).1 per new customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $200 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 3/30/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK. Data & text rates may apply. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).21+ and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WY, and WV (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH and where prohibited. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS).1 per new customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $200 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 3/30/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK. Data & text rates may apply. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).

How to sign up for the DraftKings promo

DraftKings' latest promotion offers new users the opportunity to receive $200 in bonus bets after signing up and placing a first bet of $5. This offer only applies to new users who have never signed up for DraftKings before, who are 21 years old (besides Kentucky and Wyoming) and reside in a state where DraftKings is available. No promo code is required.

1. Claim the DraftKings promo at this link
2. Once on DraftKings' website, click "Join Now"
3. Enter the requested information and allow DraftKings to verify your identity and location
4. Make a first deposit of at least $5
5. Place a first wager of at least $5

Whether your initial wager of at least $5 wins or loses, you will receive $200 in bonus bets in the form of eight $25 bonus bet tokens. These bonus bets can be used on any sport and will enter your account within 72 hours of your first bet settling. The bonus bets are not included in the payout for any wagers placed, and you can't redeem them for cash. Bonus bets expire after seven days. 

Comparing DraftKings to other sportsbooks

For those curious how the latest DraftKings promo compares to sign-up offers from some of the other best sportsbooks, check out this table. 

DraftKings, FanDuel and bet365 are all offering "bet and get" promotions for new users. FanDuel offers the same amoiunt bonus bets at $200, but your first bet there must win in order for you to receive those bets. That's not the case with DraftKings and bet365, however, as you receive your bonus bets whether your first bet is a winner or a loser.

Caesars is offering profit boosts for future bets after placing an initial wager of $1. After that, your next 10 bets receive a 100% profit boost, and the max wager for each rewarded profit boost is $25, while the max additional winnings for each rewarded profit boost is $2,500.

BetMGM and Fanatics are offering bet insurance promotions. BetMGM offers new users a first-bet insurance of up to $1,500. If your first bet loses, you receive your stake back in the form of bonus bets up to $1,500. Fanatics offers bet insurance for each of your first bets over your first 10 days with the sportsbook. Those first bets of the day are covered up to $100 for a maximum bonus bet return of $1,000. 

NCAA Tournament preview

The bracket was officially revealed on Sunday, and Auburn holds the No. 1 overall seed and sits atop the South Region of the bracket. Duke, Florida and Houston are also No. 1 seeds, while defending two-time champion UConn is a No. 8 seed. 

Bracket breakdown

Auburn leads the way in the South, with Michigan State holding that region's No. 2 seed, Iowa State at No. 3 and Texas A&M is No. 4. Marquette at No. 7 is always a potent team come tournament time, and UC San Diego has the ability to score with the best of them. 

Duke is the No. 1 seed in the East, Alabama is No. 2, Wisconsin is No. 3 and Arizona is No. 4. Oregon is the No. 5 seed and takes on No. 12 Liberty in a matchup of two teams that could make deep runs in this portion of the bracket, and WCC champs St. Mary's, with a win over No. 10 Vanderbilt, would likely take on Alabama in a fun matchup in the Round of 32. 

Houston is the top team in the Midwest after a stellar regular season in the Big 12, with a pair of SEC teams ranked No. 2 and 3 in Tennessee and Kentucky, respectively. Purdue is No. 4 in this region, and the team it knocked off last year, Gonzaga, is a No. 8 seed facing No. 9 Georgia in the first round with the winner likely facing Houston. 

Florida, which beat Tennessee to win the SEC Tournament, is the No. 1 seed in the West. St. John's is back in the tournament for the first time since 2019 and is a No. 2 seed, while Texas Tech is No. 3 and Maryland is No. 4. This region has a number of lower-seeded teams to keep an eye on, such as defending two-time champion UConn (No. 8), Kansas (No. 7) and Drake (No. 11). 

Early Final 4 predictions

Will this be a year of upsets, or will the top-seeded teams steamroll their way to the Final 4 in San Antonio? Or how about a mix of both? Here are some early predictions for the Final 4 this year:

• South: No. 1 Auburn
• West: No. 1 Duke
• Midwest: No. 2 Tennessee
• East: No. 4 Maryland

Auburn has been the team to beat for most of this season. Yes, it looked a bit more vulnerable in the SEC Tournament, but even with an early exit, Auburn was the unquestioned No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Johni Broom is on the shortlist of the best players in the nation, and Bruce Pearl's squad is good at basically everything. Auburn got the No. 1 overall seed for a reason, and its path to the Final 4 is a bit more clear than other squads.

The other No. 1 seed I'm backing is Duke, which just won the ACC Tournament without superstar freshman Cooper Flagg, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft. Flagg has been dynamite for Duke all year long, and Jon Scheyer's team has the best scoring differential in the nation despite playing in one of the tougher conferences around. As long as Flagg stays healthy, Duke can beat anyone. 

I like Houston a lot, but Kelvin Sampson's squad very well may face a tough early draw in the round of 32 with the winner of No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia. I'm leaning Gonzaga there as Mark Few's team has plenty of veteran firepower with tournament experience, so I don't think Houston has as clear of a path forward as Auburn or Duke despite boasting arguably the nation's top defense. Tennessee came up just short of an SEC title but are very battle tested as the SEC was far and away the best conference in the nation this year. Rick Barnes' squad is well balanced and has a great player in Chaz Lanier leading the way. 

The East region is where I expect things to get weird. Florida had a great year and it was hard to pick against Todd Golden's team, but with St. John's and Texas Tech are dangerous teams in this region. Additionally, Florida's second-round matchup may very well come against UConn, which won the title each of the last two years. This feels like anyone's region, really, so how about Maryland, which has one of the better offenses in the nation and can score with the best of them. Assuming Maryland gets past No. 13 Grand Canyon, it plays the winner of No. 5 Memphis and No. 12 Colorado State. I think Maryland can take down either squad can make a deeper run starting with either a win over Florida or UConn in the Sweet 16. 

Sleepers to watch

It's weird to use the word "sleeper" when discussing Gonzaga, the perennial contenders are just an 8 seed in the Midwest region in this year's tournament after spending the better part of the last two decades near the top of the bracket. Gonzaga will take on Georgia, with the winner likely playing Houston. It was a down year of sorts for Mark Few's squad, but Gonzaga reached No. 3 in the AP poll at one point and went 25-8 while ranking third in the nation in scoring margin. Gonzaga also reached the Sweet 16 last season. Graham Ike, Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman are all seniors and have been at the school for their entire college careers, so they know a thing or two about winning big games.

The same can be said for Kansas, which had its worst year under longtime head coach Bill Self after entering the season as the preseason No. 1. Don't let the 21-12 record or 7 seed in the West fool you, though -- Kansas still has plenty of talent on its roster, namely star senior Hunter Dickerson. And having a coach like Self, who has won two titles at Kansas, including in 2022, certainly means a lot come March. 

And if you're looking for a deeper sleeper, how about UC San Diego, the 12 seed in the South? The Big West champs take on No. 5 Michigan and enter the tournament at 30-4 and on a 15-game winning streak and rank second in the country behind only Duke in point differential at 18.8 points per game. UC San Diego attempts the 13th-most 3-pointers per game in the nation, so if the team gets hot from behind the arc, it will be an exceptionally tough out no matter the opponent. 

Responsible gaming with DraftKings

Bettors should be be careful when placing wagers and know their limits. DraftKings takes responsible gaming very seriously and offers its users a number of responsible gambling resources in addition to limits bettors can use and opt in to, including time, wager and deposit limits. DraftKings also offers cool-off periods and the ability for users to put themselves on a self-exclusion list. 

Here are some additional problem gambling assistance resources.

• The National Council on Problem Gambling
• Gamblers Anonymous
• Call or text 24/7: 1-800-GAMBLER