Is sports betting legal in Massachusetts?
Online: YesRetail: Yes
March 10, 2023, marked the start of legal online Massachusetts sports betting. Bay State bettors gained immediate access to six U.S. online sports betting sites.
The executive director of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Karen Wells, announced on Feb. 9, 2023, a tentative go-live date of March 10, 2023, for legal online Massachusetts sports betting.
On Monday, Jan. 31, 2023, legal retail sports betting opened in Massachusetts at three state casinos.
The MGC approved Fanatics’ online MA sports betting application on Jan. 12, 2023. The operator will partner with Plainridge Park to deliver online wagering in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts sports betting regulators voiced concerns about Fanatics’ marketing plans at a licensing hearing on Jan. 5, 2023.
The official launch of retail sports betting in Massachusetts will commence on Jan. 31, 2022, the last possible day the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) reserved for themselves.
Tweaks to the Massachusetts sports betting model may take time, according to one Massachusetts lawmaker. Rep. David Muradian told Covers at the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) conference in Las Vegas, that MA policymakers didn’t want “the perfect to be the enemy of good” in working through their legal sports betting bill.
On Dec. 13, 2022, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved WynnBET’s application for a “Category 3” online sports betting license. The move allows WynnBET to apply for a temporary permit, which would allow the betting site to start operations promptly.
Efforts by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) to separate retail and online sports betting are proving challenging. Decisions to defer legal sports betting license applications for PENN Entertainment Inc.-operated Plainridge Park Casino, along with a decision on the MGM Springfield casino, were put on hold.
Fifteen Massachusetts sports betting operator applications were filed on Nov. 21, 2022. Twelve applications were for mobile sports betting, while three were for retail wagering at the state’s three casinos: Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino.
The Massachusetts sports betting timeline remains intact, with a staggered rollout of retail and online sports betting. It was reported on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, that DraftKings was calling on regulators to simultaneously launch retail and online sports betting, but its efforts fell short.
The competition for Massachusetts sports betting licenses is heating up. On Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) announced that it received 29 operator “Scoping Surveys” from potential applicants for retail and online sports betting licenses.
The Massachusetts sports betting “scooping survey,” distributed by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) to businesses that intend to apply for retail and online sports betting licenses, comes due on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.
Online Massachusetts sports betting won’t launch in time for Super Bowl. Following three hours of deliberations on Friday, Oct. 8, 20202, the MGC voted on a timeline that delays the start until early March.
Massachusetts sports betting date setting was on the agenda for Oct. 6, 2022, with 2023 as the earliest start date. In fact, “there is no way we could do this any earlier. No way,” said MGC Executive Director Karen Wells.
On Sept. 22, 2022, the majority of a group comprising more than 20 sportsbook operators informed the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) that a universal start date for the launch of Massachusetts sports betting is the preferred path forward.
During a meeting on Sept. 8, 2022, Massachusetts Gaming Commissioner Brad Hall restated that Massaschusetts’ initial retail and online sportsbooks will not open their doors in the coming weeks. Formal approval for launch remains several months away.
On Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, Massachusetts lawmakers passed legal wagering legislation that will bring online and retail sports betting to MA. The minimum age to bet will be 21, and both professional and collegiate sports are on the table — although wagering on in-state college teams will only be legal during major events like March Madness.
A go-live date has not been announced, but the expectation is that Massachusetts sports betting will roll out sometime during the 2022-23 NFL season.
Massachusetts initially moved closer to legalizing sports betting on Thursday, April 28, 2022. The state senate voted to approve a wagering bill that would allow adults 21 years of age and over to bet money on sports via mobile devices and at state casinos. The main sticking point or difference between the bill proposed by the House in 2021 (bill H 3977) revolved around college sports, which the Senate struck from revised legislation.
Previously, the House supported bill H.4887, which included mobile and retail sports betting provisions. However, the Senate took issue with adding specific sports betting language in its version.