Online Gambling Massachusetts: Latest Guide To Massachusetts Gambling

MA online gambling - The legal status

Until recently, online gambling simply wasn’t an option in Massachusetts. Like most states, MA has had legalized greyhound and horse racing betting on the track for some time, and retail casinos have been around since 2015. However, the arrival of online forms of betting happened much more recently.

Legalized mobile sports betting in MA took a lot longer to push through than it did in some neighboring states. However, in-person sports wagering finally arrived at the three casino sites in the Bay State, with online betting arriving in March of that year.

MA sportsbooks

The first mobile Massachusetts legal sportsbooks were finally launched on March 20, 2023. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), is responsible for the licensing and regulation of mobile sports wagering. Right now, there are six live apps, but there are enough licenses granted for there to be 10 in total. The top online sportsbook apps available in the Bay State include the following:

• DraftKings
• FanDuel
• WynnBet
• BetMGM
• Caesars
• Barstool

Mass online gambling casinos

Online casinos are not yet legal, at least not those that offer real money gambling. However, you do have close alternatives available in the form of sweepstake casinos. These allow you to play casino-style games for entertainment purposes using virtual currency. On some sweepstakes casinos, you even have the chance to win real money prizes.

What is the legal age for online gambling in MA?

The Massachusetts gambling age for online sportsbooks and DFS is 21, and offline, the same goes for retail casinos. However, people aged 18 and older can play lotteries and casino-style games on some social casino sites. As we said before, although sweepstakes casinos offer slots and casino-style games, they are not gambling sites.

What sports and teams can you bet on in the Bay State?

As well as being able to bet on all pro sports leagues, including the NBA, NFL, NHL and more, you can also legally wager on some collegiate sports in Massachusetts. This is a nice little bonus for MA bettors, as many states have opted not to include college sports teams in their legal betting bill.

As well as being able to bet on sports leagues and contests happening in the US, you can also wager on international leagues. For example, you can bet on the likes of the UEFA Champions League and boxing matches across the world.

MA gambling - Top online sportsbooks

As we said before, online casinos aren’t yet legal in Massachusetts, but there are already six sportsbooks live. Below, you can take a close look at each one, as well as the current welcome bonus that you can claim at each one as a new player.

DraftKings MA - Bet $5 get $200

This massive brand has had its DFS products available in the Bay State since 2015, and now players in Mass can use the sportsbook as well. As a new customer at DraftKings MA, you can take advantage of a massive welcome offer. This gets you $200 in bonus bets when you register, deposit and make a first bet of just $5.

As well as having this amazing welcome offer and being one of the most recognizable brands in the US, DraftKings has a whole lot more to offer you. For example, it offers live streams for the NBA games that you have a live wager on, and also has an excellent bet builder and fast cashouts for in-play bets.

FanDuel MA - Another $200 bonus

Like DraftKings, FanDuel has also been well established in Massachusetts since 2016 thanks to the DFS product. This gives current FanDuel DFS account holders a quick means of creating and verifying a new account. Another thing that FanDuel MA has in common with DraftKings is the ‘bet $5 get $200’ welcome bonus.

On top of that, this big-name sportsbooks brand can offer MA gambling fans more streaming rights than any other app. This is because it is an official partner of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.

WynnBet - Bet $100 and get $100

At WynnBet MA, you can get $100 when you register your account, deposit and bet the same amount. Better yet, this bonus comes with no rollover requirement that needs to be met before you can withdraw your winnings.

If you are looking to bet on the move, WynnBet has one of the best mobile apps available for all types of devices. You can either download it directly from their website via the QR code or find it in the App Store and/or Google Play.

BetMGM - Up 10 $1,000 in bonus bets

As well as being backed by one of the biggest and most historic Las Vegas casino resorts, BetMGM is one of the most widely available sportsbooks in the country. You also have one of the biggest sportsbook bonuses for online gambling in Massachusetts.

As a new customer, you can claim up to $1,000 in bonus bets if your first bet loses. For example, let’s say you deposit and wager $500 on the Celtics and they lose. You would then get $500 back in bonus bets. On the other hand, if the Celtics were to win, you would then have your winnings. Effectively, it’s a win-win situation.

Caesars Sportsbook - Bonus bet up to $1,500

Caesars has a similar bonus to the one mentioned above, only with a potential $1,500 up for grabs instead of $1,500. However, as well as having this massive new customer bonus, this sportsbook app also takes care of its existing players through Caesars rewards.

These are special rewards that are redeemable at land-based Caesars Casino locations across the country. For sports fans, there is the added bonus that this is the only MA gambling site with NFL streaming throughout the entire season.

What other types of MA gambling sites are available?

As well as the top five casinos listed above, Barstool Sportsbook has also launched online in MA, with more operators coming soon. In terms of other types of gambling sites, the only other things that are available are DFS platforms such as FanDuel and DraftKings. As we said before, online casinos and poker rooms are not legal at the moment.

When can we expect to see online casinos in Massachusetts?

At the time of writing, there are no plans in place to legalize online casinos. Therefore it looks like the main options for online gambling in Massachusetts are going to remain sportsbook apps for some time to come. While more than half of all US states have now legalized online and mobile sports wagering in some capacity, only a handful have gone on to legalize online casinos.

Online casino alternatives - MA sweepstakes casinos

The closest alternatives that you have available to online casinos right now are sweepstakes casinos. These types of websites offer social casino-style games that you can play for fun using virtual currency.

Most sweepstakes casinos work using two different types of virtual currency - Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC). GC can be used to play games purely for entertainment purposes, meaning that they have no real money value and cannot be withdrawn or redeemed.

SC is a promotional currency that is only available at some social casinos. While it is also a virtual currency that technically has no value, it can be used to redeem real prizes, including things such as merchandise, gift cards and even real cash. Whether you want to enjoy risk-free gaming just for fun, or you want to play for the chance to win prizes, sweepstakes casinos offer the closest legal alternative to casino online gambling in Massachusetts.

Why are sweepstakes casinos legal?

At no point are you actually able to gamble on a sweepstakes casino site, as all of the casino-style games and slots can only be played using virtual currency. As a result, these types of operators are not subject to the same state gambling licensing laws. Right now, Washington is the only state with legal restrictions on sweepstakes, meaning that social casino sites are accessible in all other 49 states, including Massachusetts.

In order to remain within the legal parameters of the law, there are a few things that sweepstakes casinos have to offer. For one thing, they must offer all players the opportunity to play for free, which is why you get free GC and SX when you register an account. Secondly, they have to allow you to gain sweepstakes entries for free, which is why you cannot buy SC on any site - you can only collect them through various promotions.

How to start gambling online in Massachusetts - Step by step

As long as you are aged 21 or older and physically located inside MA state borders, then you can start wagering on sports online right now. Just follow the steps below to get started:

1. Use the expert reviews here at CaptainGambling to choose your ideal mobile sportsbook in MA.
2. Once you have downloaded the mobile app, click on the “Sign up” button.
3. Enter the required details and create a username and password.
4. Enter a valid promo code or opt in for the welcome offer (whichever one of the two is required).
5. Verify your account with your government-issued ID, SSN and proof of address.
6. Make the first deposit into your account - make sure that it meets the minimum deposit requirement for your welcome bonus.
7. Claim your welcome offer.
8. Start wagering on your favorite sports.

Online gambling Massachusetts - Conclusion

Now that you are completely up to date with the current status of online betting in MA, the next step is to open up your online sportsbook account. Remember that you can check out all of the best bonuses and operators right here at CaptainGambling. On top of that, we will also bring you the best new operators as and when they launch their apps in the Bay State. For casino fans, real money gambling online might not be legal yet in this respect, but you can still enjoy a casino-style gaming experience at one of the many sweepstakes casinos available.

An Overview of Gambling in MA

MA Gambling FAQ