When is Online Gambling Legal in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts was slow to permit legal gambling; it took over 10 years since introducing their state lottery before lawmakers made it possible for casinos to operate within their borders. The Expanded Gaming Act of 2011 legalized casino resorts in Massachusetts and established the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to oversee them. At present, three full-service casinos and one slots-only facility exist legally across Massachusetts: Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville is among them. Massachusetts Lottery and horse racing are both well-established forms of gambling in Massachusetts, though legal age varies depending on what form it takes – for example, 18 year-olds must be at least old enough to participate in these forms of gambling; 21-year-olds can visit licensed casinos or place DFS bets.
On January 31st, Massachusetts hosted its inaugural sports betting experience at three land-based casinos – Encore Boston Harbor, Plainridge Park Casino (PPC), and MGM Springfield. Retail betting initially only accepted cash; mobile sports betting will launch by March of 2023. Massachusetts boasts a unique tax structure for sports betting with 15% retail and 20% online sportsbooks charged separately; additionally there will only be 15 licenses issued out to either partnerships between land-based casinos or standalone operators in total.
After growing interest in legalized sports betting in the US, Massachusetts legislators began work on a bill to legalise it. After much deliberation and several different proposals being submitted for approval by Governor Charlie Baker and signed into law in August 2022.
Since 2012, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has been responsible for overseeing the creation of a regulated sportsbook market in Massachusetts. Since November 17 and February 25, respectively, various licenses were issued by MGC to Fanatics Sportsbook, Xbet Sportsbook and ESPN Bet – each of which launched within these dates with various promotions and odds available including up to $500 free bets!
Although Massachusetts lacks regulated online casinos at present, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has indicated its intention of licensing such operations in the future to reduce offshore sites’ appeal while increasing revenue through taxes.
Plainridge Park, Encore Boston Harbor and MGM Springfield casinos will soon begin accepting sports bets directly in person, and online at MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor from March 2023 allowing bettors to bet their favorite teams from home. Furthermore, several mobile-only sportsbooks have begun accepting bets from Massachusetts residents and typically utilize sweepstakes-style operations that use dual currencies to reward bettors who win bets.