CBB Sportsbooks Pull Betting Lines on The Crown Tournament

• Major sportsbooks, including DraftKings and FanDuel, abruptly removed betting lines for the College Basketball Crown Tournament, citing regulatory concerns and player uncertainty.
• Bettors suspect sportsbooks pulled the lines to protect themselves from inside information on player availability, while some reported having winning bets voided after the fact.

BOSTON – A wave of confusion and frustration swept across the legal sports betting community as major sportsbooks, including DraftKings, FanDuel, Circa, MGM, and BetRivers, abruptly removed betting lines for the College Basketball Crown Tournament.

The decision, which has sparked speculation and backlash from bettors, appears to be linked to concerns over player participation and potential regulatory issues.

Sudden Line Removal Raises Questions

Bettors first noticed the disappearance of Crown Tournament lines on Monday, with DraftKings and other sportsbooks quietly removing the markets. When pressed for an explanation, DraftKings’ support team responded that the markets were “currently unavailable due to regulatory reasons,” without specifying further.

FanDuel and other major operators followed suit, leaving bettors puzzled.

Many in the gambling community speculated that college basketball sportsbooks feared being exploited due to uncertainty over player availability. The transfer portal and last-minute lineup changes reportedly made it difficult for oddsmakers to confidently set lines, leading some to believe that sportsbooks acted to protect themselves from being “beaten” by sharp bettors with inside information.

The sudden removal of the lines led to an outcry on social media, with some users accusing sportsbooks of pulling the bets solely to protect their bottom line.

Others pointed to the possibility of suspicious betting activity prompting the decision.

Some legal online sportsbooks not only removed the lines but also voided already-placed bets. One bettor on X, @bburch22, reported that DraftKings voided a bet on Butler after the game was played, even though the money had already hit his account. The incident led to claims of “free rolling,” where sportsbooks seemingly void losing bets but keep winning ones.

wow @DraftKings voided a bet after the butler game was played. They even gave me a cash out option with 3 seconds left, butler won and the money hit my account and now it is void and the money is gone. Any advice for how to deal with getting free rolled? @PlusEVAnalytics

— boourns (@bburch22) March 31, 2025

Further complicating matters, some users reported receiving messages from sportsbooks citing regulatory restrictions.

“The desired tournament will not be offered, because we have received from the regulator that this competition is not allowed anymore.”

The Aftermath

The majority of major operators have pulled their offerings but some online sportsbooks still have ways to bet on the Crown Tournament.

At time of writing, the odds for the College Basketball Crown Tournament at Bovada still stand.

As of now, it remains unclear whether sportsbooks will reinstate the lines or if regulatory bodies will provide further clarification. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between sportsbooks, regulators, and bettors, particularly in an era where player movement and inside information play an increasing role in betting markets.

News tags: BetRivers | Bovada | Butler | Circa | College Basketball | College Basketball Crown Tournament | Crown Tournament | DraftKings | ESPN BET | FanDuel | MGM