FanDuel promo code for NCAA Tournament: Bet $5, get $200 in bonus bets if your first bet wins

Sports fans hoping to back their favorite college basketball teams in the 2025 NCAA Tournament can use the latest FanDuel promo code to secure $200 in bonus bets if their initial wager of $5 wins. There is no specific sign-up code required but users must be new to the sportsbook to take advantage of the offer. Here's a look at how the promotion works.  

How to sign up for the FanDuel promo

New users who reside in states where FanDuel operates and meet age requirements can sign up using the following steps. 

1. Sign up for an account using your name, email address and payment information.
2. Make a deposit of at least $5.
3. Place a wager of $5 or more. There isn't an odds requirement for this wager under the promotion for new users.
4. If your wager wins, your account will be credited with $200 in bonus bets within 72 hours

Bonus bets do not need to be used in one lump sum; they can be spread out across multiple wagers. Bonus bets expire after seven days. When placing a wager using bonus bets, only the winnings are returned if the bet wins. For example, if a user places a $5 bonus bet wager at +100 odds and wins, the user will get $5 in winnings back, not the $5 stake. Bonus bets cannot be cashed out or withdrawn from a user's account.

Comparing FanDuel to other sportsbooks

Here's how FanDuel's latest promo compares to sign-up offers from some of the other sports betting sign-up bonuses.

FanDuel's offer is similar to DraftKings and bet365, as all three sportsbooks are offering bonus bets. The downside for FanDuel in comparison to the other two sportsbooks is that DraftKings and bet365 are offering bonus bets regardless of the outcome of a user's first wager. Bet365 does not restrict how bonus bets are used, while DraftKings is issuing eight $25 bonus bet slips in this promotion. However, FanDuel does not have any odds restrictions for a new user's first bet.

BetMGM and Fanatics are offering a higher potential amount in bonus bets, but these promotions require a larger investment from users. To get the full $1,500 in bonus bets from BetMGM, a user will have to invest at least $1,500 on the first wager. Fanatics requires users to make one wager for at least 10 days under the promotion, with the maximum number in bonus bets capped at $100 per day if that first bet loses. Caesars has gone a completely different direction, offering 10 100% profit boosts instead of bonus bets. When it comes to getting value relative to user investment, FanDuel compares favorably to other sportsbooks.

NCAA Tournament preview

The 68-team field is set, with games beginning Tuesday and Wednesday before the tournament gets going in earnest Thursday. North Carolina and Texas, two teams on the fence when it came to making the tournament, will be in action on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Creighton and Louisville will get the tournament underway with the first game Thursday.

Auburn secured the overall top seed in the bracket, with Duke, Houston and Florida rounding out the No. 1 seeds. The Tigers and Cougars play Thursday, while the Blue Devils and Gators take the court Friday.

Bracket breakdown

The SEC set a record with 14 teams from the conference making the field, with only South Carolina and LSU left out. Teams are spread out well across seed lines, with seeds No.1 through No. 11 represented should Texas prevail over Xavier Wednesday. The Big Ten does not have a team on the No. 1 seed line but is well-represented with eight schools, headlined by No. 2 Michigan State and No. 3 Wisconsin. The Big 12 has seven teams in the bracket, and the ACC would have four teams if North Carolina can get past San Diego State Tuesday.

Final 4 predictions

This is the most unpredictable tournament in sports for several reasons. Injuries have a greater impact when games happen in quick succession, and small sample sizes can have an outsized impact for the same reason. A highly efficient team across the regular season could falter in one game and see its campaign end, while an inconsistent group could catch a high at just the right time. Even though it's fun to pick upsets, there are some good guidelines to follow when looking at which teams could reach the Final Four. 

Only three teams are ranked in KenPom's top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and those three all happen to be in different regions -- Florida, Duke and Houston. Auburn is just outside the top 10 defensively, and the Tigers are considered the best team in the country. However, legendary Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo seems due for a Final Four run. The Spartans are elite defensively and shouldn't face many obstacles in their side of the bracket before having to tangle with an Auburn team that has failed to reach the second weekend in each of the last three tournaments. 

• South: Michigan State
• West: Florida
• Midwest: Houston
• East: Duke

Sleepers to watch

Since the NCAA tournament expanded, a No. 12 seed has beaten a No. 5 seed 55 times. The 2013, 2014 and 2019 tournaments all saw three No. 12 seeds win, while the 2022 and 2024 tournaments had two No. 12 seeds win. This makes UC San Diego, Liberty, McNeese and Colorado State trendy picks. UC San Diego and McNeese seem most likely to get the job done this year. No. 13 seed High Point appears to be gaining traction to upset No. 4 Purdue, while No. 11 Drake is a popular selection to take down No. 6 Missouri.

As far as sleepers to make a deeper tournament run go, KenPom's efficiency metrics help identify teams that are elite on at least one side of the floor. No. 8 Gonzaga, No. 3 Texas Tech, No. 3 Kentucky and No. 6 Missouri are all in the top 10 offensively, while No. 4 Maryland, No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 7 Saint Mary's are all defensive juggernauts. Perhaps one of these schools can catch fire at the perfect time and get all the way to the Final Four.

Responsible gaming

FanDuel has plenty of resources for bettors to game responsibly. The sportsbook has a video on the dangers of betting irresponsibly and offers several adjustments users can make in their settings. These include loss limits, wager limits, maximum wagers, timeouts, reality checks and player activity statements. For additional resources, users can call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342.