With North Carolina online sports betting launching in time for the ACC Tournament and March Madness, bettors in the Tar Heel State will have no restrictions in wagering on college basketball.
That is not the case in many of the 38 states (and District of Columbia) where sports betting is legal. College sports betting rules vary by state, and now is the perfect time to review them before the madness begins.
Related: Best North Carolina sports betting bonuses to claim now
States with no restrictions on betting college sports
Let’s first take a look at the list of states that have no restrictions on betting college sports. If you reside in one of these, count yourself as fortunate and bet unhindered throughout March and into early April when the next NCAA champion is crowned.
ArkansasKansasKentuckyLouisianaMarylandMichiganNevadaNorth CarolinaWyoming
You won’t find New Hampshire on this list but live free or die, right? The ultimate freedom in these nine states allows for betting on any college basketball betting odds. You’re free to fire on in-state teams, out-of-state schools, and college player props throughout the year.
What college basketball bets can I make in North Carolina?
North Carolina sports bettors get to enjoy the full slate of college sports betting markets.
That means you can bet on player props, UNC, Duke, NC State, Wake Forest and more throughout the season.
More: Betting on UNC basketball in North Carolina | Betting on Duke basketball in North Carolina | Betting on March Madness in North Carolina
New York & New Jersey among those that ban betting on in-state teams
In a recent conversation with a longtime friend from upstate New York, he lamented the fact that betting on Syracuse basketball wasn’t allowed in the Empire State. “I’d be killing it if I could,” he said. Sure you would, bro.
Last year, New Jersey-based Fairleigh Dickinson became the second-ever No. 16 seed to topple a No. 1 in Purdue during the opening round of the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Nobody in the Garden State had the pleasure of betting on that historic upset.
Aside from New York and New Jersey, here are other prominent states that restrict betting on in-state schools.
Connecticut
Partial restriction here as you can bet on in-state teams in tournaments, but not during the regular season. UConn, of course, cashed at +1600 as last year’s national champion if you bet just prior to March Madness.
Bettors in other states were able to get down at +8000 on the Huskies before the season began. Hat tip to SportsOddsHistory.com for those odds.
Massachusetts
The same rule applies in the Commonwealth as does in Connecticut. You can bet on Boston College or Harvard in tournament play but not otherwise. This is commonplace in New England, as New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine follow a similar script.
Maine even takes it a step further, with no betting allowed on in-state schools in tournament competition. This is a moot point for March Madness, but could be a bone of contention for backers of the Black Bears in the Frozen Four.
Maine, a winner of two national titles in hockey, has appeared in 11 Frozen Fours. That said, it hasn’t made the national semifinals since 2007 or NCAA tournament since 2012.
Virginia
You can forget about betting on the Virginia Cavaliers within the boundaries of the state. The Tony Bennett-led Cavs won their first and only NCAA title in 2019. Virginia has appeared in the Final Four on three occasions. If you’re as old as I am, you probably remember Ralph Sampson.
Washington, DC
DC puts the double whammy on betting college sports within its cozy confines. No betting on the district’s teams and no betting on any college games played there. As Unabated astutely noted, only a short trip to Maryland is required to get action on George Washington.
What states allow betting on college player props?
Betting on college player props is another sticky political issue across the country. Ohio became the most recent state to ban wagering on college player props last month.
That decision seems to make some sense when you consider that not all college athletes are raking in millions of dollars in Name-Image-Likeness deals. Could some 18- to 22-year-old collegiate player be swayed to go just UNDER his scoring prop for a nice payoff?
Dayton men’s basketball coach Anthony Grant lambasted bettors who publicly criticized his players on social media after a 63-62 loss to VCU last season. The Flyers had a 14-point lead erased in that game. That incident helped trigger more scrutiny of what college betting was being allowed in the Buckeye State.
With Ohio axing college player props as of March 1, here’s a sampling of other states that do not allow this form of betting:
ArizonaColoradoFloridaIllinoisIndianaIowaMississippiNew YorkPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth DakotaTennesseeVirginiaWashingtonWest Virginia
What are the best sportsbooks for betting on college basketball and March Madness?
The best online sportsbooks around the country are legal and regulated for betting on college basketball. This is an important distinction that often gets lost on younger bettors, who can’t differentiate between an illegal off-shore book and DraftKings.
Open accounts at these top-rated sportsbooks — all legal and regulated by state gaming commissions — and enjoy betting on college basketball and March Madness if your state allows it.