Date of Last Revision: March 6th, 2026
These terms and conditions govern your use of our services. Please read them carefully.
Supplemental Terms for March Madness Tournament Games
Effective Date: March 10th, 2026
These March Madness 2026 Official Rules ("Event Rules") govern participation in Fanstake's March Madness tournament games offered during the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships (the "Event"). These Event Rules supplement and are in addition to the Fanstake Free-to-Play Games Official Rules (the "FTP Rules") and the Fanstake General Terms of Service (the "General Terms"), each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In the event of a conflict between these Event Rules and the FTP Rules or General Terms, these Event Rules shall control with respect to the March Madness Games described herein. All capitalized terms not defined in these Event Rules shall have the meanings set forth in the FTP Rules or General Terms.
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Token Baseline Value. For purposes of these Event Rules, each Fanstake Token is assigned a baseline reference value of $0.001 (one-tenth of one cent) per Token (the "Token Baseline Value"). All prize pool amounts described herein are expressed in Tokens. Where a dollar-equivalent figure is referenced, it is calculated using the Token Baseline Value and is provided for informational purposes only. The Token Baseline Value does not represent cash value, guaranteed purchasing power, or a fixed redemption rate. Fanstake Tokens carry no cash value. Actual redemption value may vary depending on available redemption options, gift card providers, and merchandise offerings at the time of redemption. Fanstake reserves the right to modify available redemption options at any time in its sole discretion.
The March Madness Games will be available beginning on or about March 17th, 2026, and will conclude upon completion of the applicable NCAA tournament (the "Promotion Period"). Specific game entry deadlines are set forth in Section 5 below. Fanstake reserves the right to modify the Promotion Period at its sole discretion in the event of changes to the NCAA tournament schedule.
Eligibility to participate in the March Madness Games is subject to the same requirements set forth in the FTP Rules. To summarize, participants must:
Each eligible participant is limited to one (1) entry per game, per account. Participants may maintain only one Fanstake account per email address. Multiple accounts are prohibited and may result in disqualification and forfeiture of prizes.
The following four (4) free-to-play games are offered as part of the March Madness Event (collectively, the "March Madness Games"):
Participants submit predictions for the outcome of each game in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship bracket. Points are awarded for correct predictions, with point values increasing in later rounds to reflect the difficulty of the picks. Once the tournament begins, bracket selections are locked and may not be modified.
Participants submit predictions for the outcome of each game in the 2026 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship bracket. Scoring and lock rules are identical to the Men's Bracket Challenge as described in Section 4.1.
Heat Check is a basketball prediction game in which participants pick which school they believe will win each matchup presented during a given tournament round. Points earned for each correct prediction are correlated with the odds of the selected team winning; picking a lower-seeded or less-favored team to win awards more points than picking the favorite. Successive rounds award higher point values to reflect the increasing difficulty and stakes of the tournament. Participants pick one round at a time — selections for a subsequent round become available only after the prior round is completed. Specific point values, matchup presentations, and selection deadlines for each round will be communicated within the Fanstake platform.
Survive & Advance is an elimination-style game in which participants select two teams per round that they predict will win. If the selected teams win, the participant advances to the next round. If either of the selected teams lose, the participant is eliminated. A team may not be selected more than once by the same participant across different rounds. Additional game mechanics and rules will be communicated within the Fanstake platform.
All entries must be submitted through the Fanstake platform before the applicable lock deadline:
Fanstake is not responsible for late, lost, incomplete, or misdirected entries due to system errors, network failures, or other technical issues.
The total March Madness Fan Prize Pool is Ten Million (10,000,000) Fanstake Tokens (Token Baseline Value: $10,000), allocated as follows:
| Game / Category | Tokens | Token Baseline Value |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Bracket Challenge | 1,250,000 | $1,250 |
| Women's Bracket Challenge | 1,250,000 | $1,250 |
| Heat Check | 1,250,000 | $1,250 |
| Survive & Advance | 1,250,000 | $1,250 |
| Fan Leaderboard | 5,000,000 (Fan Points) | $5,000 |
| TOTAL PRIZE POOL | 10,000,000 | $10,000 |
Each of the four March Madness Games has a dedicated prize pool of One Million Two Hundred Fifty Thousand (1,250,000) Fanstake Tokens (Token Baseline Value: $1,250) per game, with the following per-game payout structure:
| Place | Tokens Awarded | Token Baseline Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | 500,000 | $500 |
| 2nd Place | 250,000 | $250 |
| 3rd Place | 100,000 | $100 |
| 4th – 50th Place | Tapered from remaining 400,000 | $400 |
Prizes for 4th through 50th place will be distributed on a tapered basis from the remaining Four Hundred Thousand (400,000) Tokens per game (Token Baseline Value: $400). The exact taper amounts will be determined by Fanstake and published on the platform prior to the start of the Promotion Period. The tapering methodology is at Fanstake's sole discretion.
In addition to game-specific prizes, the Fan Points leaderboard will be sharing a prize of Five Million (5,000,000) Tokens (Token Baseline Value: $5,000) and will be distributed based on total Fan Points earned from March 1st, 2026 through April 6th, 2026. The Fan Leaderboard payout uses the same tapering methodology currently in place for monthly Fan Leaderboard distributions. For clarity, Fan Points earned through participation in the March Madness Games will count toward a participant's monthly Fan Points total for Fan Leaderboard purposes.
Individual school leaderboards and their associated prize pools, if any, are additive and separate from the 10,000,000-Token total March Madness Fan Prize Pool described herein. School leaderboard prizes are not deducted from, and do not reduce, the March Madness Fan Prize Pool. Individual school leaderboards are capped at $5,000 per school in Token Baseline Value.
Game leaderboard prizes (Section 6.2) are awarded in Fanstake Tokens. Fan Leaderboard prizes (Section 6.3) are awarded in Fan Points. All Token Baseline Value figures referenced in these Event Rules are calculated at $0.001 per Token and are provided for informational and prize pool communication purposes only. Fanstake Tokens carry no cash value and cannot be redeemed for cash. Tokens are redeemable for gift cards, merchandise, and other offerings as made available on the Fanstake platform, in accordance with the FTP Rules and General Terms. The actual value realized upon redemption may be greater than, less than, or equal to the Token Baseline Value, depending on the redemption option selected, gift card provider, and available inventory at the time of redemption. Fanstake makes no guarantee as to the redemption value of any Token and reserves the right to modify available redemption options at any time in its sole discretion.
All prizes for the March Madness Games and the March Fan Leaderboard will be awarded on or about April 7, 2026. Winners will be notified via the Fanstake platform and/or the email address associated with their Fanstake account.
Prize distribution is contingent upon the winner's compliance with these Event Rules, the FTP Rules, and the General Terms. Fanstake reserves the right to withhold or delay prize distribution pending investigation of suspected rule violations, fraudulent activity, or technical discrepancies.
Scoring for each March Madness Game is determined by the scoring methodology published within the Fanstake platform for the applicable game.
Fanstake reserves the right to implement additional tiebreaker mechanisms and will communicate any such mechanisms within the platform prior to the start of the Promotion Period.
In the event that two or more participants finish in a tied position, the prize amounts designated for all tied positions will be combined and divided equally among the tied participants. For example, if two participants are tied for second place, the prizes designated for second and third place will be added together and split equally between those two participants.
In the Survive & Advance game, ties between participants who have otherwise identical records will be resolved using cumulative margin of victory. A participant's cumulative margin of victory is calculated as the sum of the winning margins of all games correctly survived throughout the contest. The participant with the higher cumulative margin of victory will be ranked higher. In the event that cumulative margin of victory is also equal, Fanstake reserves the right to apply additional tiebreaker criteria as determined in its sole discretion, which may include but is not limited to the time of entry submission.
Fanstake reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any participant and void any associated prizes for:
All decisions of Fanstake regarding disqualification are final and binding.
Winners are solely responsible for all federal, state, and local taxes applicable to any prizes received. Fanstake may require winners to provide tax identification information (e.g., IRS Form W-9) prior to the distribution of prizes. Failure to provide requested tax information within a reasonable time may result in forfeiture of the applicable prize.
Fanstake reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, suspend, or cancel any March Madness Game, in whole or in part, at any time and for any reason, including but not limited to:
In the event of modification, suspension, or cancellation, Fanstake will determine prize distribution, if any, in its sole discretion based on the state of play at the time of such action. Fanstake will make reasonable efforts to notify participants of any material changes through the platform or via email.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Fanstake, Inc. and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates (collectively, the "Released Parties") shall not be liable for any injury, loss, or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with participation in the March Madness Games or the acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize, including but not limited to: (i) technical failures of any kind, including malfunctions of the platform, computer hardware, software, or internet connections; (ii) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the games; (iii) errors in the administration of the games or the processing of entries; or (iv) late, lost, undeliverable, damaged, or stolen entries.
The limitations of liability set forth in the General Terms apply in full to participation in the March Madness Games.
All disputes arising out of or relating to these Event Rules or participation in the March Madness Games shall be resolved in accordance with Section 19 (Dispute Resolution) of the Fanstake General Terms of Service, which includes mandatory binding arbitration and a class action waiver. By participating in the March Madness Games, you agree to these dispute resolution provisions.
These Event Rules shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of law provisions, subject to the Federal Arbitration Act as set forth in the General Terms.
Fanstake's collection and use of personal information in connection with the March Madness Games is governed by Fanstake's Privacy Policy, available at fanstake.com/privacy. By participating, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described therein.
These Event Rules, together with the FTP Rules and General Terms (each incorporated by reference), constitute the entire agreement between participants and Fanstake with respect to the March Madness Games. If any provision of these Event Rules is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
Fanstake's failure to enforce any provision of these Event Rules shall not constitute a waiver of such provision.
By participating in any March Madness Game, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Event Rules, the FTP Rules (available at fanstake.com/terms-of-service/ftp-games-rules), and the General Terms (available at fanstake.com/terms-of-service/general).
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