Gambling in Massachusetts: Your Guide to Legal Offline & Online Gaming Options

Legal gambling in Massachusetts has been available since the introduction of the state lottery in 1971. Yet, in recent years, major advances have been seen on the legal landscape. With the passing of the Expanded Gaming Act in 2011, casino gaming became legal in the state. MA is now home to luxurious casino resorts. Bay Staters can also legally bet on daily fantasy sports in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

On this page, you will find a complete guide to gambling in Massachusetts. You will find out about the land-based casinos that operate legally under the 2011 Expanded Gaming Act. We will also delve into the legal opportunities for sports betting, DFS, poker, lottery, and online gambling in MA. We explore Massachusetts gambling laws and provide other interesting trivia about gambling in the Bay State.

Massachusetts Gambling: Where to Legally Bet

When it comes to legal gambling opportunities in Massachusetts, there is a range of different available options. Three commercial land-based casinos are currently in operation across different areas of the state. MA is also among the states that have legalized daily fantasy sports betting. Playing online poker and casino games, however, is not permitted. While sports betting is currently a hot topic of discussion, with legislature considering a variety of bills that would legalize sports betting in Massachusetts. You will find even more details about the different types of online gambling in Massachusetts at online-gambling.com.

Land-Based Casinos in MA

In 2011, legislators signed the Expanded Gaming Act into Massachusetts gambling laws. The legislation allows for up to four commercial casinos to operate in the state. This is made up of a casino resort in each of the state’s three areas, as well as one slots parlor in the entire state. The existing racing track, Plainridge Park added slot machines in June 2015 and became the Plainridge Park Casino. MGM Springfield opened in August 2018, becoming the first casino in Massachusetts to offer live table games. This was followed by the opening of Encore Boston Harbor in June 2019. Approval was given for a third casino resort to be opened in Taunton, operating according to the tribal-state agreement with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Although, this has been held up due to ongoing legal issues regarding the Tribe’s land-in-trust application.

The state’s slot machine only casino, Plainridge Park, offers more than 1,200 new and classic slot machines. You can also play electronic table games, including blackjack, roulette, and craps. Casino gambling enthusiasts can find a much broader choice of real money games at the state’s two casino resorts. MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor offer thousands of slot machines, along with a full suite of table games. You can play blackjack, roulette, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, baccarat, and craps, to name but a few in the selection. You can also take advantage of various promotions and membership benefits at the casinos. If you want to find out more about casinos in Massachusetts, be sure to check our dedicated guide.

Massachusetts Online Gambling – Casinos Not Permitted

The casino industry in Massachusetts is fairly young, with the state’s casinos only opening in 2015, 2018, and 2019. Yet there are currently no legal options for online gambling. What’s more, there are no plans in place to legalize online casinos in Massachusetts in the near future. This is indeed the case in many states, with only a select few offering online casinos to their residents at present. Where online casinos are available, these are the most popular casino games you can play online:

• Slots
• Roulette
• Blackjack
• Baccarat
• Video Poker

If you want to play online casino games for real money in Massachusetts, you will not find any state authorized venues to choose from. Other east-coast states, namely New Jersey and Delaware have legalized casino sites. Although, you should note that you can only play at such sites from within those states. With the lack of online gambling opportunities in the state, some Massachusetts residents turn to offshore casino sites. Yet given the lack of regulation and player protection from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, it is not recommended to play at such sites.

Massachusetts Sports Betting: Legalization Under Consideration

Since the US Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, numerous states have either legalized sports betting, or are considering legalizing it within their borders. At present, sports gambling in Massachusetts is illegal. Yet that could be set to change soon. Various bills that would legalize and regulate sports betting in MA have been put forward for consideration. The state’s commercial casino operators have backed the bid, and expressed their interest in sports betting being exclusively available from their gambling venues. Will MA sports betting be legalized in 2020? The chances are more than likely – watch this space!

Daily Fantasy Sports: Legal in the State

While full-scale sports betting is not yet available in Massachusetts, daily fantasy sports betting is legal in the state. DFS betting varies from normal sports betting, owing to the element of skill involved. You are betting on the performance of a fantasy team of players, rather than on the outcome of games. In 2016, a bill was passed making DFS legal temporarily. The bill permitted DFS online games until July 2018, to allow for permanent rules and regulations to be established. The bill was amended in 2018, making DFS betting permanently legal in the state. DraftKings is based in Boston, MA, making it the preferred DFS operator for many in the state. Massachusetts residents can also bet on daily fantasy sports at several other leading operators, including FanDuel.

Online Poker – Not Legal in MA

Online poker is not legal or regulated in Massachusetts. And as with online casinos, there are no plans in place to change the current legal situation surrounding online gaming in the Bay State. If you want to play poker for real money in MA, you will need to visit one of the state’s two casino resorts. Alternatively, if you want to play poker online, you will find legal poker sites in the nearby states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. To stay on the right side of the law, you can only play at state-authorized online poker sites when you are physically in the respective state.

Gambling on The Massachusetts State Lottery

The Massachusetts State Lottery was launched in 1971, with the aim of generating revenue for the commonwealth. Today, Bay Staters can play a wide variety of lotto games in Massachusetts, with in-house games as well as multi-jurisdictional jackpot draws, including Mega Millions and Powerball. You must be 18 years or above to play the lottery in MA. This is lower than the Massachusetts gambling age of 21 for casino games and DFS. Online lottery is not legal in the state, and tickets can be purchased from a wide number of retail outlets throughout the state. There is a list of approved lotto agents available on the official Massachusetts Lottery website.

Each year, net profits from the Massachusetts State Lottery are contributed to the general fund. After prizes and expenses, which account for around 80% of lottery revenues, the remaining 20% revenue is transferred to the state’s general fund. These funds are returned to the commonwealth’s towns and cities as local aid by the Department of Revenue. Each city and town can choose how to allocate their funds. Some of the projects that lottery revenue funds include education services, parks and recreation projects, and local road improvements. In the 2019 fiscal year, lottery net profits of $1.104 billion were returned to the commonwealth. Since the lottery’s launch, it has contributed over $27 billion in net profits to the state fund.

An Overview of the Massachusetts Gambling Market

So far, in this Massachusetts gambling guide, we have discussed the legal gambling opportunities in the state. There is a state lottery, three casinos, and DFS betting is also permitted in the Bay State. Furthermore, legal sports betting is on the horizon. In the following sections, we will delve into important Massachusetts gambling laws in more detail. You can also find out about how gambling is regulated by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Our overview of the MA gambling market also includes responsible gambling initiatives, famous gamblers, and the history of gambling in the commonwealth.

The Most Important Massachusetts Gambling Laws

There is legislation included in the general laws of Massachusetts which authorizes certain types of gambling. In 1971, laws were introduced, allowing for the operation of a state lottery. 940 CMR 34: Daily fantasy sports contest operators in Massachusetts is the law that permits DFS in the state. Having been permitted on a 2-year temporary basis in 2016, the House approved the new bill in 2018, making DFS legal permanently. Further bills have been put forward for consideration that could legalize full-scale sports betting in the state.

The Expanded Gaming Act was signed into law on November 22, 2011. The Act authorizes casino gaming in the state. It allows for up to three destination casino resorts and a single slots parlor. Each casino resort, currently provided by MGM Springfield and Wynn’s Encore Boston Harbor, must pay a licensing fee of no less than $85 million each. The commonwealth also receives 25% of gross gaming revenues from the resorts. While the exclusive slots licensed casino is taxed at a rate of 49%, with a $25 million license fee. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission was established under the Gaming Act. The Commission is responsible for licensing and regulation of casino gaming, to ensure the integrity of the state’s casino industry.

In regard to gambling tax on winnings, a 5% tax is applied to lottery wins of over $600. The tax is paid to the MA Department of Revenue. For prizes of $5000 or over, 24% is withheld under federal rules and sent to the Internal Revenue Service, with an additional 5% withheld for the state revenue department. The legal Massachusetts gambling age for casino gaming and DFS is 21. To play the lottery in Massachusetts, you will need to be 18 or above.

Responsible Gambling in MA

Real money gambling always comes with certain risks involved. And with new legislation permitting gaming comes the need to provide responsible gambling support and education to players. Massachusetts has taken a pioneering approach to researching problem gambling. Under provisions made in the 2011 Expanded Gaming Act, extensive studies have been carried out into the social and economic impact of the state’s emerging casino industry.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is committed to the promotion of responsible gambling. They have introduced innovative tools, including PlayMyWay and GameSense, to support players and limit harm. The MGC’s Responsible Gaming Framework allows casino licensees to understand the Commission’s expectations regarding player protection and how to minimize harm. The 2011 Gaming Act also established a Public Health Trust Fund. Between $15-$20 million is contributed to the fund annually. The funds are used to support public health programs specializing in research prevention, and treatment of problem gambling. One such service that provides problem gambling support to Bay Staters is the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling.

The History of Gambling in MA

The history of gambling in Massachusetts can be traced back to colonial times when private lotteries were common. Gambling laws in Massachusetts were introduced in 1719, which banned all lotteries. In 1745, the state authorized its first public lottery. A further ban was enacted in 1833, and it was not until 1971 that Massachusetts made the state lottery legal. In 1934, the state legalized pari-mutuel betting on horse and dog racing. The state’s racing tracks had all closed by the end of 2009 when the Massachusetts Greyhound Protection Act banned dog racing.

Perhaps the most significant moment in the state’s gambling history came with the introduction of the Expanded Gaming Act in 2011. Governor Deval Patrick signed the Act into law on November 22. The 2011 Act allowed for casinos to operate legally in the state for the first time. The Act was intended to create a regulatory framework in which casinos could operate, providing new jobs and generating revenue for the commonwealth.

On February 28, 2014, a state-wide category 2 slots parlor license was issued to Penn National Gaming. The Plainridge Park racing track added slot machines and the Plainridge Park Casino was opened to the public on June 24, 2015, making it the first legal casino to operate in the state. The MGM Springfield opened its doors on August 24, 2018, making it the first category 1 licensed casino to operate in Massachusetts. The launch of the casino resort had a significant impact on the state’s commercial casino annual gross revenue. The casino’s opening was reflected in a 65.71% increase in GGY from 2017 to 2018, jumping from $164,786,230 in 2017 to $273,072,584 in 2018. On June 23, 2019, the Encore Boston Harbor casino resort opened for business.

Famous Gamblers from the State

If you think about famous gamblers, it is undoubtedly poker players that spring to mind. Massachusetts has produced its fair share of professional poker players. We have listed the two most famous gamblers to come from the Bay State. Read on to find out more about the most famous poker players from Massachusetts, along with an overview of their career highlights.

Daniel Colman

Daniel Colman is the most successful professional poker player to hail from Massachusetts. Born in Holden, MA in 1990, Colman has racked up total live earnings of $28.9 million. Daniel Colman famously won the $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop at the 2014 World Series of Poker. He beat renowned poker star, Daniel Negreanu heads-up and scooped the $15,306,668 first-place prize. The prize was the second-largest single payout made in the history of the poker tournament. Before his big win, Colman finished in 3rd place in the Heads-Up event, pocketing prize money of £111,942. He picked up a string of “Poker Player of the Year” awards for his achievements in 2014.

Nick Petrangelo

Born in Feeding Hills, MA, on January 2, 1987, Nick Petrangelo is another famous name in the world of poker. He has two World Series of Poker bracelets under his belt. In 2015, he took first place in the WSOP $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout event, winning prize money of $201,812. His next WSOP victory came in 2018. Petrangelo won the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller event, where he landed the biggest live cash prize of his career, $2,910,227. To date, Nick Petrangelo’s total live earnings exceed $17.4 million.

Interesting State Facts and Figures

Massachusetts has many claims to fame. It was the birthplace of four US presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy and George H. W. Bush. Basketball was invented in Springfield in 1891, with volleyball created four years later. The first-ever Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth, MA in 1621. Plymouth was the landing place of the Mayflower and the first pilgrims. The state was named for the Massachuset tribe by the English explorer and colonist John Smith. We have gathered some key facts about the Bay State and its gambling industry in the table below:

Massachusetts is home to many popular sporting teams. The New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox have a huge following. No doubt, sports fans will be keenly awaiting a decision on legalizing sports betting in the state, in time for the start of professional sporting seasons.

Conclusion: Final Summary & Future Outlook for MA Gambling

As we reach the end of our guide to gambling in Massachusetts, let’s take a moment to summarize the key points. While legal Massachusetts online gambling is not available, there are several types of legalized and regulated gambling options available, including casinos, DFS, and lottery. All eyes are now focused on whether Massachusetts gambling laws will be amended to legalize sports betting.

The bill to legalize sports betting in MA has the support of Governor Charlie Baker, as well as the state’s casino operators. Yet senators will not rush the approval of the bill, with careful consideration given to the social and economic impact of signing the sports betting bill into law. We are keeping a close eye on the legal landscape and will keep you updated with any changes to MA gambling laws as they happen.

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope you found this Massachusetts gambling guide useful. Yet perhaps you still have some questions about gambling in the Bay State, If so, this section is just for you. We have collated the most frequently asked questions on the topic and provided answers with all the details you need.