Massachusetts Online Sports Betting
“This page contains references to products from one of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. This compensation does not impact our opinions in this review or elsewhere about these products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Affiliate Policy, please click here. Thank you.”
Massachusetts Sports Betting - What To Know About The New Market
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts - The Bay State, Codfish State, Old Colony State, otherwise known as the Baked Bean State. No matter what you personally know Massachusetts as, you can’t deny that it’s a state known for big catches.
Its bays are teeming with plenty of seafood and shellfish that go great in chowder soup, its breweries produce some of the finest-crafted beers in the northeast, and the state gave us none other than the comedy of one William Burr. But soon enough, Mass. residents will soon look forward to tailing different types of catches.
As both NBC Boston and the Associated Press recently reported, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently announced its intentions to get in-person sports betting and sportsbook venues off the ground by January 2023, just in time for the Super Bowl! However, the timeline for when “Category 2” sportsbooks (for betting on horse race tracks) will open up in the state currently remains unknown.
But when will Massachusetts legalize sports betting over online platforms? March 2023, just in time for March Madness! We’ll continually update this page with news, reviews, and updates on the best MA online sportsbook as they launch, but in the meanwhile, here’s what’s worth knowing about the best (confirmed and expected) online sportsbooks arriving in Massachusetts!
Is Sports Betting Illegal In Massachusetts?
Although many Massachusetts communities have largely been ahead of the curve on legalizing and decriminalizing other things, like psychedelics (the Massachusetts General Hospital even has an entire neuroscience center devoted to them), the state long lagged behind others in establishing legal online and offline sports wagering markets.
However, the new bill and legislative motion, backed by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and signed off by Governor Charlie Baker in August 2022, is set to very swiftly change that. To reiterate the point we made previously, the Massachusetts sports betting launch dates are expected to vary between:
-
Online, in-person, and category 2 sportsbooks
-
The different launch timeframes of different books
-
How fast different operators get the green light
The governor was quick to greenlight the framework for launching new Massachusetts sports betting platforms in August, noting the enormous popularity and revenue generated by sportsbook operators in neighboring states, where Mass. residents already had the right to travel to those states and wager in their borders.
Over 20 different legal online sportsbooks could potentially launch in the state after online sports betting gets off the ground next spring. Let’s cover where the current timeline on Bay State sportsbook launches stands, and the sportsbook operators you can expect to subsequently launch after legalized sports betting markets are launched in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Sports Betting Timeline
-
8-10-22: Massachusetts sports betting is legalized by Governor Charlie Baker.
-
8-25-22: Several popular online sportsbook operators submit notices of intent to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to receive state licenses for future launches, including DraftKings, WynnBet, Bally’s, and PointsBet.
-
9-1-22: Come September 2022, over 42 companies officially notified the Commonwealth of their intent to seek licensing to launch and operate online sportsbooks in the state.
-
9-11-22: The Commonwealth Equine and Agricultural Center announces its intentions to purchase a 360-acre property and apply for a Massachusetts Gaming Commission license. If passed, this should launch live horse track racing in the state come early 2023.
-
9-13-22: Further regulatory measures are approved that would prohibit and prevent marketing of online sports betting to Massachusetts residents under the age of 21.
-
9-15-22: Temporary betting licenses appear to hit an apparent cap, slowing down the launch of legal online and offline sportsbook operators in Massachusetts. The MA Gaming Commission warned that apps issued temporary licensing to operate independent of brick-and-mortar gaming locations could be shut down if they weren’t approved for one of seven types of full operation licenses in the state.
-
9-22-22: Several prospective Massachusetts gaming operators advise the state gaming commission against offering more temporary gaming licenses than the market could efficiently manage, including FanDuel, Fanatics, Bally’s, and BetMGM.
-
10-7-22: The Massachusetts Gaming Commission formally outlines its plans to launch the state’s legal sports betting market in early 2023. Retail, brick and mortar, real life sportsbook locations are slated to open January 2023, just in time for the Big Game, and online sportsbooks in March 2023, right on schedule for March Madness!
What should you know about those first four big betting apps to launch in the state, and the other online sports betting platforms that could potentially launch in the state next year? Let’s explore.
Massachusetts Sports Betting Apps
Let’s cover the most likely online sportsbooks to come to Massachusetts in 2023 and the years ahead.
Barstool Sportsbook Massachusetts
Though there hasn’t yet been much substantive news on if or when the popular betting app will launch in Massachusetts, it’s a reasonably safe bet to assume that it eventually will. Penn National Gaming, the parent company that owns and operates Barstool Sportsbook, already operates the brick-and-mortar Plainridge Park Casino location in Massachusetts.
If Barstool Sportsbook indeed heads over to the Codfish State, you’ll likely be able to start with a reasonably-safe first bet, refunding you up to $1,000 in site credit. Read our full operator review if you want to know what you can expect Barstool to have in store.
Bally’s Sportsbook Massachusetts
Bally’s was one of the first online sportsbook operators to submit a notice of intent to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, so their Bally Bet online sportsbook should likely launch in the state soon after. The app offers a multitude of in-depth wagering options, especially when it comes to daily fantasy sports, given Bally’s association with Monkey Knife Fight.
Read our review of Bally Bet to learn more about the online book ahead of its likely Bay State launch. When it launches in the state, expect it to launch with a generous $100 free bet and deposit match offer up to $550!
BetMGM Sportsbook Massachusetts
Like Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM’s parent company already has a brick-and-mortar gaming industry location in Massachusetts, so it’s likely to launch quickly after online Massachusetts betting markets finally go live. If prior book launches in other states are anything to go by, it’s likely that the Massachusetts iteration of the widely popular app will enable users to start playing with a generous deposit match bonus of up to $1,000!
Read our comprehensive review to learn more about BetMGM.
FanDuel Sportsbook Massachusetts
Already one of the top apps in online sports betting markets nationwide, FanDuel will be bound to attract a ton of attention and buzz when it launches in Massachusetts not long after March Madness. FanDuel has quickly emerged as one of the nation’s most popular online casinos and sportsbooks.
The platform is exceedingly popular, and for good reason. To learn more about it ahead of its near-inevitable Massachusetts launch, read our full review here.
WynnBet Sportsbook Massachusetts
Wynn Resorts already owns Encore Boston Harbor, a brick and mortar gaming location, so it’s not out of the realm of impossibility that they could bring their digital platform to the Old Colony State as well.
Like Barstool, WynnBet offers a hefty first bet offer of up to $1,000 in site credit. It offers a number of other intuitive, responsive, and reliable wagering features too, which you can learn more about by reading our full review.
PointsBet Sportsbook Massachusetts
Bettors in other states’ with legal betting markets might have already stumbled across PointsBet Sportsbook’s “Do It Live” campaign, prominently featuring a leading man on the toilet. Soon, Bostonians who’ve eaten bad chowder should be able to look forward to a new way to pass the time on the John, as PointsBet is heavily rumored to be coming to Massachusetts next year!
Do you like to go on company time because the boss makes a dollar while you earn a dime? You might be able to rake in more dollars and dimes in real-time, thanks to PointsBet’s expedient live in-game wagering features. Read our full operator review to find out more about them, and if PointsBet Massachusetts adopts the wagering promos offered in other states, expect a $2,000 risk-free bet bonus!
Unibet Sportsbook Massachusetts
Since the late 90’s, Unibet has long stood the test of time as a widely known, globally popular online gaming operator, with a 9 million+ customer base spanning over 100 countries worldwide. Given this astronomical, global level of popularity, it would be reasonable to expect that Unibet will eventually arrive to the Bay State.
Read our review to find out more about the internationally renowned online wagering platform, and when it arrives in Massachusetts, expect a first deposit match bonus worth up to $500!
BetRivers Sportsbook Massachusetts
BetRivers is a hugely popular online book in close to a dozen states, and offers bettors, sharps or squares, a wide range of wagering options and types of bets, including wagers like:
-
Prop bets
-
Spread bets
-
Over/under bets
-
Parlay bets
-
Moneyline bets
-
Future bets
-
Live bets
If BetRivers eventually arrives to the Bay State, expect it to arrive with a $250 bonus on your first deposit!
Where Sports Betting Is Legal
Besides Massachusetts in the near future, there are currently 20 U.S. states and territories where online sports betting is legal. They are as follows:
-
New York
Which Sports Betting App Is The Best?
“Best” is subjective. But if you’re wondering where to find the best Bay State sports betting bonuses, promotions, and risk-free offers as they launch, keep coming back to this page and we’ll keep you posted!
Frank Weber is a sports & gaming writer with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and years of experience in the gambling world. He loves baseball, football, basketball, soccer, and the UFC - he even collects sports cards and memorabilia! In his free time, you could find Frank either out at a concert with friends, or at home sweating out all his (soon to be won) bets!
More about Frank Weber
