After years of coming close, is 2021 the year that Massachusetts will have legal sports betting? In 2020, the Massachusetts House overwhelmingly passed a bill that would permit seven Massachusetts sports betting licenses. Both DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook would have received licenses under the 2020 law. The Senate, though, did not include sports betting licenses in the economic development bill that passed at the end of 2020.

Who’s Leading The Charge On Massachusetts Sports Betting?

Currently, there is only one form of legal Massachusetts sports betting, and that can be found at offshore sportsbooks. Local bookies are not licensed by the state, and the closest regulated sportsbooks would require a drive across state lines. The most convenient and flexible way to wager is via the internet. Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is a new way to play on major league sports teams and players in Massachusetts. Try your sports knowledge skills by playing DFS, on a variety sports events like NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL PGA, MLS, and more. Most Likely Massachusetts Online Sports Betting Sites.

According to Commonwealth Magazine, State Senator Brendan Crighton, a Democrat from Lynn, has long been one of the leaders of the Massachusetts push to legalize sports betting.

Crighton points out that given the dip in state revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic along with the potential lost revenue to New Hampshire and Rhode Island, which each allow sports betting in some form, should be sufficient motivation to get the bill passed in 2021.

According to the Dorchester Report, Crighton is also concerned about black market or illegal sports betting. Crighton believes that legalizing sports betting will bring the black market betting into legal sports betting markets. After several years of trying, Sen. Crighton believes that this is the year that a bill can pass.

Another State Senator that has had a say in Massachusetts sports betting is Sen. Eric Lesser, a Democrat from Longmeadow. According to the Dorchester Report, Lesser believes that other nearby states passing sports betting indicates that Massachusetts should pass a law permitting it as well.

What Is The History Of Sports Betting In America?

Between 1992 and 2018, sports betting was generally outlawed in the United States pursuant to the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA). On May 14, 2018, the United States Supreme Court overturned PASPA in the case of Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. In Murphy, the Supreme Court found that PASPA could no longer be used to ban state-sponsored sports betting.

Almost immediately, states began seeking to pass sports betting laws. Since the decision in Murphy, more than twenty states have passed laws permitting sports betting in some form. At least seventeen more states have introduced bills seeking to legalize sports betting.

What Is The History Of Gambling In Massachusetts?

Massachusetts already has legal casino gambling. According to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which was established in 2011, there are three gambling casinos and two planned Indian casinos.

One established casino was opened at Plainridge Park and primarily was used for horse racing until 2015 when it was licensed for slot machines. Two additional casinos, the Encore Boston Harbor and MGM Springfield, have opened in recent years.

The Gaming Commission is authorized to license a fourth casino but must first work out the logistics with the Indian tribal casinos before it can be announced. Outside of horse race betting at Plainridge Park, the casinos in Massachusetts are gaming casinos and not casinos with any form of sports betting.

Because casino gambling is already in place in Massachusetts, what is holding the state back from sports betting? It’s not infrastructure. DraftKings and FanDuel are both on board with the structure needed for Massachusetts sports betting. The local sports teams, from the Patriots to the Red Sox, are on board. Sports fans and the general public even seem to be on board.

So what is the hold up? According to writer Bill Speros in an editorial for the Boston Herald, the problem just seems to be that lawmakers cannot play nice with one another.

Massachusetts Needs To Pass A Sports Betting Bill

Everything is in place for Massachusetts to have legal sports betting. The state has casinos, the state has sports betting companies lined up with the infrastructure and the state has companies ready to hit the ground running. The only thing holding the legalized sports betting back at this point is the state legislature.

Is Fanduel Sportsbook Legal In Massachusetts

So, when will the state legislature act? It is true that COVID-19 has disrupted a lot of legislative priorities in the past year. The need to deal with critical issues due to COVID-19’s disruptions of everyday life have likely pushed less critical matters like sports betting to the back burner.

However, every day that Massachusetts does not have legal sports betting it is losing revenue to neighboring states. It seems that there really is no discernible reason that no sports betting law has passed in Massachusetts other than simple slow-moving politics. Given the possibility for massive taxable revenue increases, the overall interest from stakeholders such as sports teams and casinos as well as the seemingly overwhelming public support, hopefully 2021 will be the year that Massachusetts is able to legalize sports betting.

Next Steps – Massachusetts Senate Bill SD 177

In January, Sen. Crichton introduced Senate Bill SD.177, this year’s version of the sports betting bill. The major difference in the 2021 bill and earlier bills is an increase in revenue through higher licensing fees and tax rates for bets, according to Commonwealth Magazine.

Some believe that the failure to pass sports gambling in the past has been the amount of tax revenue coming into the state from gambling.

With all the success that Boston has had with professional and collegiate sports teams over the decades, it’s no surprise that the state could potentially turn an annual sports betting handle well over a billion dollars annually. Of course, given that there is no land-based Boston sportsbooks venue in the state just yet, these MA residents are heading online to an offshore online sportsbook to place their bets on Red Sox games and other teams. Because these offshore sites are not regulated by the state and are not collecting taxes on sports betting like other states who have it legalized are, the city of Boston is losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits.

However, now that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA, 1992) has been overturned, there is no longer any federal roadblock to Massachusetts instituting its own sports wagering legislation and regulations. If you check out our sports betting bill tracker, you can see that lawmakers are discussing multiple bills that look to legalize sports betting in Massachusetts. If these bills are successful in legalizing sports betting, sports betting lounges and sportsbooks are likely to appear in gambling venues all over the state. This could happen as soon as late 2019 or early 2020. Sports bettors have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months ahead.

Is Sports Betting Currently Legal In Boston?

Sports betting is currently legal in Boston, provided that you place your wagers at an offshore, overseas sportsbook. Sites like Bovada, SportsBetting, MyBookie, BetOnline, BetDSI, and BookMaker are all first-class destinations that have been serving MA residents for decades and they each offer fair lines, live odds, easy deposits, free memberships, and guaranteed payouts.

Over 100,000 Boston residents use these sites on a regular basis, and doing so has always proved a smooth-sailing experience for everyone involved. Boston residents love using these websites because they are convenient and provide the best sports betting experience they could ever get. There is no need for them to travel to Rhode Island or New Jersey when they have sports betting right on their smart device or computer.

As for when legal land-based sports betting will come to the Boston area, it is currently unclear. There are several sports betting bills that are being considered by lawmakers, so they want to get the job done sooner rather than later. After all, Boston residents want to bet on the Patriots as soon as possible to win some easy money. Not only them but betting on all Boston teams is an easy choice for locals from the City of Kind Hearts.

Best Sportsbooks In Boston

Once land-based Boston sportsbooks open up, the websites we recommend will still be legal and will surely remain heavily-trafficked by MA residents. Though, folks looking for a true sports betting lounge experience will definitely prefer getting in on the action at physical casino locations. The closest casino to Boston is going to be located in Everett and it is the Encore Boston Harbor, which opened for business in June of 2019. It’s very possible that once sports betting regulations are set in place in Massachusetts, Encore will be the first property to launch a sportsbook.

Boston sports betting enthusiasts will also be able to wager on their favorite players and teams at the nearby Plainridge Park Sportsbook as well as the under-construction Project First Light Resort and Casino in Taunton, MA. This casino will be run by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe of Massachusetts. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like this casino will be opened in the near future because they have yet to set a launch date.

Additionally, those living in Boston will be able to cross the southern state border and wager at the world-class Mohegan Sun sportsbook and the Foxwoods Resort Casino sportsbook in Connecticut. Although sports betting is legal in Connecticut, sportsbooks haven’t launched yet because the law wants regulators of sports gambling to adopt sports betting regulations and they have not done so. Once they do, the Mohegan Sun sportsbooks will be another prime location for Boston residents to go to make their sports bets.

Minimum Age To Bet At Boston Sportsbooks

The minimum legal age to wager at Boston sportsbooks is currently 18 years old, as that’s what the offshore sportsbooks serving the area require of their membership. However, once land-based sports betting comes to Massachusetts, Boston residents who wish to use those services for sports betting in Massachusetts will have to be 21, in accordance with existing state-wide gambling laws. For that reason, we do recommend you wait until you are 21 to access these online sportsbooks. The offshore sites do not allow you to bet on sports if you are underage. Since casinos are likely to be the venue for sportsbooks in Massachusetts, you will have to be 21 to bet on sports. If you end up underage gambling on an offshore site, you could end up getting permanently banned and lose your winnings. Waiting until you are 21 is the safest bet.

• Encore Boston Harbor
• Address: One Broadway Everett, MA 02149
• Phone: 857-770-7890

Located just 5 miles north of Boston, the city of Everett is effectively a Boston suburb, and it’s home to one of the region’s largest, fanciest casino: Encore Boston Harbor. Developed and owned by the world-famous Wynn Resorts, the Encore casino is described by Wynn as “the largest private single-phase construction project in the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” In other words, this casino is absolutely huge. Once an Encore Boston sportsbook is up and running and when the state goes ahead and legalizes land-based sports betting, you can expect the venue to be the most popular gambling hotspot in the region.

Located on 33 acres of prime real estate, the Encore Boston Harbor – situated along the Mystic River – was a massive $2.5 billion project. In addition to its 27-floor bronze-colored glass tower (which is home to 671 luxury rooms), the venue has a huge gaming floor with all the standard amusements, a five-star spa facility, a ballroom, a theater, and more. Wynn claims that the deluxe rooms at the hotel offer the “largest standard hotel room size in Boston.”

Can You Bet Online In Massachusetts

Of course, guests to the Encore will be able to leave the property and enjoy all the iconic and cultural experiences that Boston proper has to offer. The Encore Boston Harbor is making its way to becoming an extremely popular tourist spot and not just for gamblers. You’ll be able to take in a Sox game, watch the Pats play, shop at high-end boutiques, check out some concerts, go whale watching, walk the deck of the USS Constitution, and indulge your senses at a variety of art and history museums, famous local bars, and renowned eateries. Just remember to park the car in Harvard Yard.

• Plainridge Park Casino
• Address: 301 Washington St. Plainville, MA 02762
• Phone: 857-770-7890

The Plainridge Park sportsbook will most likely be up and running in Plainville, MA, sometime next year. Located at the Plainridge Park Casino – a local harness racing track and slot parlor venue – the Plainridge sportsbook will round out the experience offered by the track facility, which is currently fairly limited (as there are no table games). Sports betting coming to Plainridge Park would be somewhat ironic historically, as the site where the track sits used to be Foxboro Park, which was owned by Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

While a sportsbook at Plainridge Park will go a long way towards reestablishing the place in the eyes of Boston gamblers, the racino is located some 35 miles southwest of Boston and it will have an uphill battle if legislation isn’t also passed that allows it to offer table games and card games on the premises. Although horse races will help keep bettors entertained, the racino can benefit from having other forms of gambling allowed. Lawmakers are looking to expand gambling privileges to the state and there are several bills that are on the path to legalize sports betting. So the Plainridge Park Casino’s future is looking bright.

Visitors to Plainville can make the trip to Boston and there is also plenty to do outside of the racino in Plainville itself. Of course, there’s the WWI Memorial Park and Zoo, which is not be missed, but there are also plenty of antique markets, and the Heather Hill Country Club is just the spot to enjoy a round of golf along with the great drink menu.

Sportsbook In Massachusetts

• Mohegan Sun Casino
• Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Uncasville, CT 06382
• Phone: 888-226-7711

Boston, located just 105 miles northeast of the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, is home to many regulars of this large casino venue one state over. And “large” is an understatement. In fact, the Mohegan Sun – owned and operated by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority – is one of the biggest, most luxurious casino-hotels in the entire world. In addition to its huge 364,000 square feet of gaming space, replete with 6500 slot machines, nearly 400 table games, and a massive poker room, visitors to the Mohegan Sun will be thrilled and awed by the many decorative embellishments on the site, like the planetarium-style ceiling in the Casino of the Sky and the amazing “Taughannick Falls” indoor waterfall that punctuates the casino’s excellent main bar.

Other amenities and activities include on-site spas, pools, Jacuzzis, and more, and those who wish to take in the natural surroundings can plan any number of outdoor sojourns through the Mohegan Sun’s booking services. Hopefully, once the Mohegan Sun sportsbook goes live in CT, the casino operators will make sports betting available via mobile, so guests at the property can take in all the outdoors activities they want without ever missing a minute of sports wagering action. The Mohegan Sun Casino has something for everyone, so Boston should consider making a day trip and check out what this casino has to offer them.

Draftkings Sportsbook In Massachusetts

• Foxwoods Resort Casino
• Address: 350 Trolley Line Blvd Mashantucket, CT 06338
• Phone: 860-312-3000

The Foxwoods Resort Casino, located a stone’s throw from the Mohegan Sun. The casino is not only the largest casino-hotel in CT, but it is also actually the largest casino in America and the third largest casino in the entire world. With over 2200 hotel rooms and suites and 344,000 square feet of gaming space, including 5000 slot machines and 250 different table games, this all-inclusive resort is not to be missed. And Boston residents know this, as over 100,000 people from Massachusetts make the 100-mile trip south in Connecticut to stay at the Foxwoods each year. Naturally, once the Foxwoods sportsbook is opened to the public, the venue will be even more popular than ever before. Sports fans from Boston and all over the surrounding states will flock to the Foxwoods Resort Casino to see how they provide sports betting for visitors.

Can I Use Fanduel Sportsbook In Massachusetts

Of course, there is way more to do at the Foxwoods than just gamble on casino games and sporting events. Visitors will be able to enjoy a variety of fine-dining experiences, theater shows, and concerts, and folks who wish to explore the wonders of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe can go through several museums and guided tours of the natural world just outside the casino’s doors. There’s the Lake of Isles golf course, there’s a zip-lining adventure, there are simulated race courses, and there are even bowling alleys and arcades to enjoy. All of these amenities make Foxwoods a great destination for adults and kids of all ages.