Online Sports Betting in Massachusetts

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Massachusetts is a state with many nicknames! People refer to the state as The Bay State, The Old Colony State, The Codfish State, and The Baked Bean State. They sure have great taste, as Massachusetts is best known for its seafood. Boston has the tastiest lobster and clam chowder.

massachusetts sports betting

Massachusetts sports betting is both legal and live. Online sportsbooks launched on March 10th. Six sportsbook apps, including big-name brands like DraftKings and FanDuel, are active and taking wagers. In the six weeks since online sports betting officially launched, Massachusetts hit over $560M in the handle and $9M+ in taxes collected. Known as the “Bay State” because of Cape Cod (where the Pilgrims first settled), Massachusetts is one of the oldest states in the U.S. Home to many “famous firsts” in the United States, there are many inventions and innovations we can attribute (their creation) to the state. The first American university (Harvard), the first public library, the first newspaper, the first telephone, and the first basketball game all took place in Massachusetts. From actors Ben Affleck and Mark Wahlberg to athletes Rocky Marciano and Patrick Ewing, many famous celebrities grew up in MA.

A quick picture of Massachusetts sports betting

  • Online sports betting in Massachusetts has been live since March 10, 2023
  • DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, WynnBet, and Barstool are the live sportsbook apps in Massachusetts
  • Like nearby states, you can wager on almost any pro sports leagues but cannot bet on in-state college teams
    • An exception to this rule is if those teams are in a tournament (like March Madness)
  • All high school sports bets are banned.
  • You have to be at least 21 to place a bet and physically located in Massachusetts.

Most Popular Sports in Massachusetts

Arguably the most successful state when it comes to professional sports of the last two decades, Massachusetts and its residents have a reputation to uphold. The state has a team in all four major American sports leagues. Passionate fans have been rewarded with at least one championship win in each of the four during the last two decades.

The New England Patriots of the NFL were considered a dynasty, led by quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick. They combined to win six Super Bowls since 2001. The team has undergone some changes since Brady left, first for Tampa Bay and then for retirement.

The Boston Red Sox of the MLB won their first World Series in 2004, then subsequently won multiple more World Series’ in the past fifteen years. With franchise icons like David Ortiz, Mookie Betts and now Rafael Devers leading the way, the Sox are usually contenders for the postseason.

nfl

The Boston Celtics won an NBA Championship in 2008 and made it to an NBA final last year (2022). With a strong, young core headlined by forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they’ll be contenders for the next decade.

Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins won a Stanley Cup in 2011, and just finished one of the most impressive (if not the most) regular seasons in NHL history. The Bruins went 65-12-5 in 2022-2023.

Massachusetts is also home to eight Division 1 college programs – two of whom, Boston College and UMass, play at the FBS level. Unfortunately, neither Boston College nor UMass are known for the kind of the success that Massachusetts’ pro teams experienced.

Most Popular Athletes in or from Massachusetts:

This list could be worthy of its own page, and there will surely be much debate over my choices. In an effort to keep this from running too long, I’m going to pick five athletes from Massachusetts and five athletes who played for Boston teams.

  • Rocky Marciano (Boxing World Heavyweight title holder from 1952-1956, career record of 49-0 with 43 KOs)
  • Patrick Ewing (NBA Hall of Famer, 11x All-Star, played in three consecutive NCAA championship games)
  • Tom Glavine (MLB Hall of Famer, 10x All-Star, 305 career wins, a standout hockey player who was drafted ahead of future Hall of Famers like Brett Hull in the 1984 NHL Draft)
  • Rebecca Lobo (Olympic gold medalist in basketball, 1995 NCAA women’s basketball player of the year who led UConn to a 35-0 season and an NCAA championship)
  • Bobby Carpenter (the first American-born player to be taken in the first round of an NHL Draft, the first US-born player to score 50 goals in a season)
  • Tom Brady (the greatest NFL player of all-time, 7x Super Bowl Champion, 5x Super Bowl MVP, 3x NFL MVP, 15x Pro Bowler, with NFL records for career wins as a QB, passing attempts, passing completions, passing touchdowns, and total yards)
  • David Ortiz (10x All-Star, 3x World Series champion, World Series MVP, MLB Hall of Famer)
  • Larry Bird (NBA Hall of Famer, 3x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 3x NBA MVP, 12x NBA All-Star)
  • Bobby Orr (best defenseman in NHL history, accrued more awards than I can list here)
  • Ernie Stautner (Hall of Fame defensive tackle/defensive end who played at Boston College, 9x Pro Bowler)

10 fun facts about sports and betting in Massachusetts

massachusetts sportsbook app

  1. Online sports betting in Massachusetts launched on  March 10, 2023.
  2. It took a long time for the betting legalization to go through. The discussions started in 2019 and were realized in 2023.
  3. The sports betting bill was signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker.
  4. The original betting law allows up to 15 online sportsbook licenses.
  5. Some of the most famous athletes in Massachusetts include Tom Brady, Larry Bird, and Carl Lewis.
  6. The Boston Marathon in Massachusetts is one of the most famous marathons in the world and attracts runners from all over the world.
  7. Massachusetts is home to sports teams Boston Celtics, the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots, and the Boston Bruins.
  8. Sports betting in Massachusetts is available both in-face through retail and online from desktops and mobiles.
  9. The state of Massachusetts belongs to two tribes, The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.
  10. Bostonians and other people of Massachusetts are allowed to bet on the Super Bown through retail betting shops from Jan 31st, 2023.

Responsible gambling in MA

In case of problem gambling, contact National Problem Gambling Hotline for support at 1-800-522-4700. The call is anonymous, and the phone hotline is available 24/7/365 toll-free. You can also text the number 1-800-522-4700 or enter the website chat here.

Want to learn more about online casinos and sports gambling? Follow our Online Gamblers Academy and learn how to have fun responsibly!

On Jan. 31, 2023, retail betting was officially launched in Massachusetts. And only a couple of weeks after that, on March 10, 2023, legal online sports betting went live.

On Jan. 31, 2023, retail betting was officially launched in Massachusetts and on March 10, 2023, legal online sports betting went live.

Yes, on Jan. 31, 2023, retail betting was officially launched in Massachusetts. And only a couple of weeks after that, on March 10, 2023, legal online sports betting went live.

On Jan. 31, 2023, retail betting was officially launched in Massachusetts. And on March 10, 2023. legal online sports betting went live.

Catie Di Stefano

Catie Di Stefano has worked in the gambling industry since 2011 for major brands like Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Gaming Innovation Group and Betsson Group. She started in customer support at age 19 and has since worked her way through VIP, CRM and Marketing. Today, Catie is passionate about educating players on consumer rights and the best approaches for legal play in the United States as the Director of Community Marketing at OnlineGamblers.com. Catie was born in Indonesia but grew up in Sweden. Currently, she resides in Spain with her two daughters.