The upcoming March Madness basketball tournament will see over $6bn wagered, but half of the venues hosting games are in states that do not allow sports betting. The Final Four and championship will be held in Texas, where sports betting is illegal. However, several states hosting March Madness games are discussing changes to laws, such as Missouri and Kentucky, while Texas is showing a stronger likelihood to listen to sports betting amendments than ever before. The absence of sports betting in some states hosting games may highlight the benefits of having a legal sports betting market and potentially lead to legislative changes.

March Madness 2023 Locations:

States with legal sports betting
Dayton, OH
Des Moines, IA
Albany, NY
Columbus, OH
Denver, CO
Las Vegas, NV
New York, NY

States without legal sports betting
Birmingham, AL
Orland, FL
Sacramento, CA
Greensboro, NC
Kansas City, MO
Louisville, KY
Houston, TX