Massachusetts has an impressive and rich history when it comes to sports. Early volleyball and basketball were created in Massachusetts, and today, there are many professional and amateur teams in this state competing in various leagues.
As a result, Massachusetts is full of avid sports fans that religiously follow every game of their favorite teams and their respective leagues. However, if they wanted to bet on a game, they couldn’t do it, at least not legally, up until recently.
It all changed on August 10, 2022, when Massachusetts officially became the 36th state to have sports betting legalized. Governor Charlie Barker signed a bill into law that allowed and regulated sports betting in this state.
In this guide to Massachusetts sports betting, we’ll share with you everything you need to know about it, including the sports you can bet on, the rules for betting, and many more.
As already mentioned, Massachusetts is the birthplace of basketball and volleyball, but over the years, many other sports have become popularized. Nowadays, Massachusetts is a paradise for sports fans, and soon it will become a paradise for sports bettors.
Once the sports betting in Massachusetts goes live, bettors will be able to bet on all major American league sports, European basket leagues, cricket, rugby, and even college sports, although Massachusetts colleges will be excluded.
This means you will be able to bet on games from NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and NHL leagues. There are many Massachusetts-based clubs playing in those leagues, including the Boston Red Socks, Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, New England Revolution, and Boston Bruins.
However, true sports fans know how important it is to support small, local clubs playing in minor leagues. Similarly, sports bettors know how rewarding can be to bet on such clubs and their games, and Massachusetts is full of opportunities for that.
Apart from mainstream sports, niche sports won’t be excluded from Massachusetts sports betting. Bettors will be able to bet on ax throwing, curling, disc golf, pickleball, and other niche sports.
After the Governor signs the bill allowing sports betting in the state, it takes 3 to 6 months for it to go live. Since the bill allowing sports betting in Massachusetts was signed in August 2022, we can expect the official start in late 2022 or the beginning of 2023.
The bill from August 2022 allows up to 15 online sportsbooks and five different properties to serve as retail sportsbooks. Since Massachusetts sports betting has a huge potential, online sportsbooks will be eager to launch in this state.
So far, 42 entities have filed formal Notice of Intent to provide sports betting services in Massachusetts. With that in mind, some of the sports betting apps that could be expected to launch in Massachusetts are:
Apart from those listed above, some other companies that showed interest in providing sports betting services in Massachusetts are Bally's Interactive, FanDuel, BarberTime Media Network, BetFred USA, FanLogic, FBG Enterprises, FSST Interactive, Fubo Gaming, G3 Esports, Massasoit Greyhound Association, Mohegan Digital, Mojo Interactive, Novibet, and many others.
The next several months will show which of these companies will be chosen as official Massachusetts online sportsbooks.
Since five physical casinos will be allowed to offer sports betting, two major state casinos, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor will be among them.
Also, slots-only Plainridge Park Casino will be another physical location for sports betting. Finally, you will be able to bet at two MA racetracks, Suffolk Downs and Raynham Park.
Here are the locations for all five physical places:
MGM Springfield - One MGM Wy, Springfield, MA 01103
Encore Boston Harbor - 1 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149
Plainridge Park Casino - 301 Washington St, Plainville, MA 02762
Suffolk Downs - 525 William F McClellan Hwy, Boston, MA 02128
Raynham Park - 1958 Broadway, Raynham, MA 02767
Until 2018, there was a nearly complete ban on sports betting in Massachusetts. However, it was overturned by the US Supreme Court. Although the bill that would allow sports betting in this state failed to gain much support, dozens of other sports betting-related bills were introduced in the following years.
Out of all those bills, the one that gained the most support was the H 3993 bill, being passed in July 2021 by a 156-3 vote. However, it failed to take up in 2021.
In April 2022, the House version of this bill was passed unanimously by voice vote. A conference committee made up of both House and Senate members came up with a compromise version of this bill that would be supported by both chambers.
On August 10, 2022, sports betting in Massachusetts became officially legal, and now it is up to regulators to allow the operators to launch sportsbooks in the shortest time possible.
Sports betting rules are enforced by the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE). To be able to participate in sports betting, bettors will have to follow some rules.
To be eligible to sign up for sports betting apps or to place their wagers in person, bettors will need to be at least 21 years old.
Also, to be able to place their wagers in online sportsbooks, they will need to be in Massachusetts. When in other states, users will be able to manage their profiles, but they won’t be able to place any new bets until they go back to Massachusetts.
Betting on professional and most college sports (except on teams from Massachusetts colleges) will be allowed, as well as betting on e-sports. However, betting on high-school and youth sports will be strictly prohibited.
However, there are also some interesting nuances when it comes to this rule. Bettors won’t be able to place wagers on games in which Massachusetts college basketball teams are playing unless they are playing in March Madness or their conference tournament.
For mobile sportsbooks, bettors won’t be able to use credit cards. They will need a debit card or bank routing number to set up their accounts. This rule was made to prevent people from raking up massive debts due to their gambling addiction.
Yes, sports betting is now legal in Massachusetts, but it will be another 3-6 months until bettors will be able actually to place their bets. As of now, it hasn’t been decided which operators will be allowed to host sports betting in Massachusetts.
Although sports betting was legalized in August, no betting apps have gone live in Massachusetts yet. The regulators will have to decide which sports betting apps will get the license for offering sports betting. Some of the most popular betting apps, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, have applied, and the next few months will show whether they get the licenses.
Sports betting became legal in Massachusetts on August 10, 2022. This decision, however, came after four years of struggle and debating on whether sports betting should be legalized. Finally, in April 2022, a bill supporting sports betting was passed, and in August 2022, it was officially put into action.
Apart from the 15 sportsbook apps that will soon become available to Massachusetts sports bettors, there will be five physical locations where sports betting will be offered: MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor, Plainridge Park Casino, Suffolk Downs, and Raynham Park.
Sports bettors in Massachusetts will be able to choose from a wide selection of sports to bet on. This includes professional teams competing in major leagues such as HNL, NBA, NFL, MLB, and MLS. However, bettors will also be able to bet on local teams and even on the niche and less-known sports.
Yes, there are some rules that are similar to rules in other states. For example, bettors will have to be 21 or older, and they will have to be inside the state to be able to place their bets. Betting on games in which Massachusetts college teams play will be prohibited, but there will be some exceptions to this rule.
Before sports betting can be up and running, the members of the Gaming Commission body will have to go through over 200 regulations to ensure everything will run according to the law. This will be a sizeable task, and it will take between 3 and 6 months in the best-case scenario. This means that the first bettors will be able to place their bets in late 2022 or early 2023.
