Sports Betting in Massachusetts

Legal Sports Betting in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has finally legalized sports betting. During the final hours of the 2022 session, the sports betting bill H5164 made its way through, was approved by the Senate, and then signed off by Gov. Charlie Baker.

On January 31, 2023, the state’s three casinos welcomed the first in-person bets. March 10, 2023, marked the launch of six Massachusetts sports betting apps, with the seventh launching in May.

You can track the latest developments regarding sports betting in Massachusetts right here, so be sure to check back with us.

Top Five Massachusetts Sports Betting Sites

Well, like many states in the US, it largely depends on what kind of sports teams and major venues the state hosts as this is the exposure citizens of Massachusetts get to the kind of markets sportsbooks offer. In the state, there are teams like Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, and New England Revolution. Because the state has such prominent sports teams, there are many in the state that are interested in wagering.

Perhaps one of the reasons sports betting is so popular here is because Massachusetts is at the forefront of regulating sports betting. In this article, legal scholar Dave Wilson argues that with the opening up of sports betting around the country, states should be regulating it with athletes and users in mind.

BetOnline

BetOnline is a great all-around Massachusetts sports bookie, but they really stand out for their welcome bonuses. Get an extra injection of funds when you deposit with Bitcoin. The welcome bonus here is worth more if you make your initial deposit with a cryptocurrency. And this is saying a lot! A normal welcome bonus here is worth up to one thousand dollars with a 50% match on your initial deposit. This is a 100% match if you make that first deposit with a cryptocurrency.

Pros

• Easy deposit process
• Great welcome bonus
• Smooth site experience

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BetUS

BetUS has a great loyalty program, where you can earn gadgets and free bets! It pays to be loyal at BetUS. All wagers made in the sportsbook count towards your reward points. As you earn more rewards, you can move up through seven different tiers, with each new tier offering better perks and benefits. This is, of course, only one of the many ways BetUS offers Massachusetts bettors great bonuses and promotions. Their welcome bonus, refer-a-friend, and other rotating promotions are excellent as well!

Pros

• Well-priced odds
• Solid bonuses and promotions
• Decades of experience

Bonus:

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SportsBetting.ag

Sportsbetting.ag stands out for offering a continual welcome bonus. Their reload bonus is more than excellent. In addition to the 50% welcome bonus, you can also get a 25% reload bonus on all subsequent qualifying deposits.  This is a great way to stretch your entertainment budget even further.  And this site gives Mass bettors plenty to bet on! From the Boston Red Sox to the New England Patriots, all of your favorites and more make an appearance on this sports betting site.

Pros

• Includes bonuses for casino and racebook
• Large maximum bonus
• Easy depositing

MyBookie

MyBookie is a great Massachusetts online sports betting site for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their slate of rotating sports betting promotions. For example, If you want to bet on March Madness, you can participate in their bracket contests.  No matter the season, MyBookie seems to have something on hand to keep offering their players new gambling opportunities. Signing up at MyBookie is a guaranteed source of entertainment for mass bettors.

Pros

• Creative specials
• Local betting markets
• Excellent customer service reps

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XBet

XBet has a great mobile platform. Their site will adjust toy our phone without a problem, and their interface is silky smooth! IN fact, you do not even have to download any app in order to use this great mobile sports betting site in Mass. If you log in to their site via your mobile device, and their will instantly adjust to the look and feel of your tablet or smartphone.  If you plan on placing sports wagers on the go, XBet is a great choice.

Pros

• Top of the line banking system
• Creative wagering options
• Mobile betting platform

Bonus:

50% up to $500

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Is Sports Betting Legal in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts passed a sports betting law in 2022, setting up the Gaming Commission to evaluate applications and hand out licenses. In January 2023, retail sports betting finally launched, and bettors were able to place their first wagers. Since then, Massachusetts has launched online sports betting by giving the green light to seven online sportsbooks. Massachusetts sports bettors now have and will continue to have the option to sign up and win on retail and online sportsbooks. Still, offshore bookies are accessible and continue to be the better option in many ways. These have lower operating costs and are able to pass these savings on to you in the form of more competitive odds and large bonuses.

Massachusetts Sports Betting – Recent Updates

• October 17, 2024 – Massachusetts set new monthly records for sports betting handle and tax revenue in September, with a handle of $678.7 million and $14.6 million collected in taxes.
• October 3, 2024 – Massachusetts issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bovada, becoming the 12th U.S. state to restrict access to the offshore betting platform.
• September 5, 2024 – The New England Patriots will face off against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 of the NFL season. Ahead of the matchup, be sure to explore MTS’s top recommendations, as the state gears up for the return of the NFL!
• August 16, 2024 – Massachusetts sports betting operators achieved a 10% hold in July, with a total handle of $411.8 million for the month. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission plans to have a candid discussion about sports betting limits with local bookmakers this fall.
• July 2, 2024 – Bally Bet launched in Massachusetts, becoming the seventh online sportsbook to operate in the state.

Five Reasons to Bet on These Offshore Betting Sites In Massachusetts

Massachusetts online gambling has just gone live after a long-fought battle. Bettors can now access the odds via one of the seven online Mass-based bookies or via offshore betting providers. When it comes to deciding between Massachusetts sportsbooks and offshore sportsbooks, the answer is clear to us: offshore bookies outshine their US-based counterparts with superior odds and more enticing bonuses, making them the top choice for anyone who prioritizes these key factors. To verify this for yourself, simply visit a few US-based bookies and compare their lines and bonuses against those offered by esteemed offshore bookies like BetUS or Bovada.

Bonus:

100% up to $500

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EveryGame is a great example of a sportsbook full of bonuses. Their welcome bonus is 100%.

Navigating the online sports betting industry in Massachusetts can be a bit of a challenge. As such, we make life easier for our readers by providing them with five important qualities to look out for when searching through online bookmakers.

Customer Service

This is paramount. When you’re discussing money, and money in big quantities, it’s absolutely imperative that you have someone you can rely on looking after your funds. When deciding on a sportsbook, make sure to check for things like how quickly they respond, their availability, and the different support options they provide. We would advise looking for all, or at least a few, of these qualities as a part of any online provider:

• Live Chat
• Call Center
• Email Service
• Forums
• FAQs

Bovada has been around for a long time and is a well-known and beloved sportsbook.

Bonus:

50% up to $250

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Broad Range of Betting Lines

Certain sportsbooks focus on particular betting lines, while the vast majority offer a broad range of betting markets. We would advise finding a sportsbook provider that offers the kinds of betting options you’re interested in—whether it be NBA, NFL, or whatever market suits you, ensure that the sportsbook you’re depositing with follows that market.

Access

This is a fairly obvious point to make. But, many sportsbooks are difficult to access due to state and national laws regarding online wagering. As such, we’d suggest that bettors ensure the sportsbook they intend to deposit at offers access to players in Massachusetts.

WagerWeb is a great example of this. They are always among the first to update their odds, really setting the industry’s tone.

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50% up to $1,000

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Reputation

Similar to what we mentioned with customer service when it comes to reputation you want to be sure you’re working with a sportsbook that has your best interests at heart. This means, protecting your funds and data, as well as ensuring that you’re dealing with an organization that you can trust is very important.

Everygame has great customer service, especially their live chat, available 24/7.

Bonus:

100% up to $500

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Promotions and Bonuses

Promotions and bonuses are available throughout the year, with almost any sportsbook you’re thinking of depositing with. As such, be sure to make the most of these bonuses and promotions. This means finding a sportsbook that provides a great “welcome bonus” and features a number of seasonal promotions, which often follow the major sports leagues and events.

Potential Legal Sports Betting Sites in Massachusetts

As Massachusetts is handing out licenses, you can expect to see some of those big names such as FanDuel and BetRivers coming up on radio and television advertisements. Do not be fooled by this media blitz from Unibet and BetMGM. They spend a lot of their money on advertising, and this pumps up the price of their odds. This is why we recommend avoiding names like FanDuel when choosing your Mass sportsbooks.

List of Casinos in Massachusetts

There are a few casinos in Massachusetts. You can also enjoy online casinos in Massachusetts at any of the online sportsbooks we recommend.

• Aquinnah Cliffs Casino
• Encore Boston Harbor
• MGM Springfield
• Plainridge Park Casino
• First Light Casino & Resort

Massachusetts Sports Betting Timeline

2023

Sports Betting Goes Live!

Retail sports betting finally launched on January 31, and online sports wagering went live shortly after on March 10. Seven bookies are already operating in the state: DraftKings, Caesars, and FanDuel are among the top sites now accesible for Mass residents. Despite initial delays and challenges, Massachusetts reported a record-breaking month in November 2023, with a staggering $571.7 million in online sports betting handle.

2022

The Bill Finally Passes

Massachusetts became the third state to legalize sports betting in 2022. It looks like they will begin handing out licenses in 2023, though this is far from guaranteed as the launch has been more complicated than expected.

2021

Things are looking up!

The legislature is really taking sports betting legalization seriously this year! At least 23 sports betting bills were filed in the House or Senate, with the final House bill to be approved H 3977. It passed with overwhelming support: 156-3-1. The Governor has come out to publicly support sports betting, the only roadblock is the Senate.

2020

The Senate stalls

In the last two weeks of the legislative session, sports betting language was added to an economic bill. It passed with huge support, but the Senate approved the bill without the sports betting language.

Despite the best efforts of Senator Michael Brady, who submitted to the amendment to add sports betting legalization, the session ended without Senate parity.

2019

Not much traction

Many legislators have submitted sports betting legalization bills. None received significant support or media attention.

2018

SCOTUS opens thins up

The Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act that limited the states that could legalize and regulate sports betting. This allowed states to begin licensing local sportsbooks. Many states would do so immediately.

Massachusetts Sports Teams to Bet on

MLB Betting in Massachusetts

• Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox play baseball in the American League (AL) East division. They have a long history, having been founded in 1901 as one of the American League’s eight charter franchises.

NFL Betting in Massachusetts

• New England Patriots – The Pats play football in the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. They are consistently one of the most valuable sports teams in the world and consistently sell out every home game.

NBA Betting in Massachusetts

• Boston Celtics – The Celtics play in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Their mascot is in recognition of Boston’s large and historic Irish population.

NHL Betting in Massachusetts

• Boston Bruins – The Bruins skate in the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They are one of the six original NHL teams, and they have been in Boston the whole time.

Massachusetts and Daily Fantasy Sports

Massachusetts has officially legalized daily fantasy sports betting. While other states let apps like FanDuel and DraftKings operate in a legal gray area, Massachusetts has explicitly legalized the practice. They did so at first on a temporary basis in 2016. Then in 2018, they made this permanent. So bettors in Massachusetts can legally access, sign up and play on Daily Fantasy Sports apps and sites!

Is Horse Racing Legal in Massachusetts

Yes, it is! The state of Massachusetts has legalized and regulated horse racing and parimutuel betting. You can bet at retail locations, as well as online, on racebooks licensed by Massachusetts. But all of these regulation measures and taxing tend to make these options more expensive for users. The racebooks you find on this page pass their savings on to the bettors in Massachusetts.

Nearest States With Legal Betting

There are lots of states in the Northeast, and many of them have legalized sports betting. To its south, Rhode Island and Connecticut have legalized sports betting. To the west, New York has also begun licensing sportsbooks. To its north, Vermont has yet to join New Hampshire in legalizing sports betting. However, anyone can access online sportsbooks like the ones we recommend on this page! You can sign up today without a problem.

List of Massachusetts Sports Betting Resources

Deepen your knowledge of Massachusetts sports betting with these valuable resources:

• Massachusetts Gaming Commission: Official regulator for gambling activities in Massachusetts.
• Office of Problem Gambling Services: Provides support and resources for those impacted by gambling addiction.
• Massachusetts Sports Betting Law: Details of Bill H.5164, which legalized sports betting in Massachusetts.
• Massachusetts Sports Betting Regulations: Comprehensive guide to the rules governing online and retail sports betting.
• Massachusetts Legislature: Stay informed on ongoing legislative efforts related to gambling in the state.
• The Boston Globe: Follow sports news and developments across New England, including updates on Massachusetts sports betting.

Check out these top Massachusetts Betting Sites

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