Media Troopers cites March Madness betting surge across US regulated markets

Media Troopers said March Madness 2026 drove one of its strongest periods for traffic and customer acquisition across US-regulated sports betting markets, following the conclusion of the tournament in which the Michigan Wolverines beat the Connecticut Huskies 69-63 in the national championship game.

The digital marketing and customer acquisition group said final figures were not yet complete, but noted consistent traffic and conversion rates across its network during the multi-week event. Media Troopers also pointed to the American Gaming Association’s estimate of a $3.3 billion handle from licensed US betting operators during this year’s tournament.

“Everyone talks about the Super Bowl as the peak moment, and in terms of a single event, that’s true,” said Media Troopers CEO, Shmulik Segal. “But March Madness betting has always been different, and we can see it by the exponential growth this year. Unlike the Super Bowl which peaks over one night, March Madness delivers scale over time. You’re not looking at one spike, you’re looking at consistent, high-intent engagement for weeks.”

The company said operators benefited from repeated touchpoints, with returning customers using existing accounts to place college basketball bets throughout the tournament. “What made this March Madness so powerful was frequency,” Segal added. “Users are not just placing one bet. The predictions, odds, and results create a new reality every day. So bettors are coming back day after day, round after round. From an acquisition and retention perspective, that’s incredibly valuable.”

Segal also tied the tournament’s impact to continued expansion in the US regulated landscape. “Regulation has changed the game,” he said. “You now have more states, more operators, and more competition. Events like March Madness allow operators to differentiate and build long-term relationships with players, not just capture one-off bets.”