March Madness Casino

FILE - A customer makes a sports bet at the Borgata casino in Atlantic City N.J. on March 17, 2022 just before the March Madness NCAA college basketball tournament began. As March Madness gets underway, more people than ever now can legally bet on sports. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia now allow some form of sports betting.

Wayne Parry - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS

People in North Carolina may have a little more riding on this year's NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, as they will be able to legally bet on the games through their smartphone apps and computers for the first time.

For the sixth straight year, the number of states allowing legal sports betting has expanded since the last rendition of March Madness. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia now allow some form sports betting, including 30 states and the nation's capital that allow online wagering.