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Sports betting is now permitted and lives in Massachusetts. Massachusetts residents can access six different online sportsbooks: DraftKings, FanDuel, WynnBet, Barstool, Caesars, and BetMGM. These sportsbooks have welcomed new customers with sign-up bonuses and incentives since their inception on March 10.
This is because on March 10, 2023, just in time for March Madness, a total of six online sportsbook applications went live in the state. As of January 31, 2023, retail sports betting began in Massachusetts.
After Ohio legalized it on New Year’s Day, Massachusetts will be the second state in 2023 to allow mobile sports betting. Since the Supreme Court first allowed sportsbooks in 2018, Massachusetts is now among the more than 30 states in the union that do so.
Now that the sports betting market has officially debuted in the Bay State, let’s take a closer look at the status of online sports betting in Massachusetts and some Massachusetts sports betting promos.
Is Massachusetts a legal state for sports betting?
Let’s start with the basics. Is it legal to bet in Massachusetts? The answer is yes. Sports betting in Massachusetts is permitted both in-person and online. Retail sportsbooks began operations on January 31, 2023, while mobile sports betting apps went operational in March of that same year.
On August 10, 2022, House Bill 5164 was ratified by Governor Charlie Baker. The new legislation designates the Massachusetts Gaming Commission as the Commonwealth’s regulatory body for the emerging sports betting sector.
The contract was disclosed in a tweet from House Speaker Ron Mariano following a vote on the Massachusetts sports betting law in the Senate, which approved it by a vote of 36-4.
The status of sports betting in Massachusetts
This year has been a busy year for sports betting in Massachusetts. So let’s get it straight, what’s going on right now with Massachusetts sports betting?
FanDuel and the Boston Bruins established cooperation in the sports betting industry on March 15, 2023, while the New England Patriots announced a partnership with DraftKings. A collaboration between the Boston Celtics and a bookmaker has not yet been disclosed.
Following that, the Boston Red Sox and BetMGM Sportsbook have a partnership agreement settled later in March. And then, on March 10, 2023, Massachusetts legalized online sports betting. There are now six active online sportsbooks in Massachusetts.
It had handled $563.9 million in transactions and collected $9.1 million in taxes.
The MGC met on April 14, 2023, to look into two instances of casinos placing bets on state institutions, which is against the law unless the schools are participating in a competition. A bid to authorize sports betting firms in the state to accept wagers on the Boston Marathon was rejected by Massachusetts authorities on April 7, 2023.
After that, Jake Paul is allegedly in breach of the SEC after promoting cryptocurrencies without revealing that he was paid, according to Massachusetts sports betting officials, who are looking into the matter as of April 3, 2023. Betr, an authorized sportsbook in Massachusetts, was co-founded by Paul.
Which sportsbook applications are available in Massachusetts right now?
Long answer short: DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Barstool, Caesars, and WynnBet.
As aforementioned, on March 10, 2023, Massachusetts legalized internet gambling, and six of the top sports betting apps became live at that time. The interim unattached Category 3 sports wagering operator licenses for DraftKings and FanDuel have been authorized. Previously, tethered licensing applications for Caesars, BetMGM, WynnBet, and Penn Sports Interactive (Barstool Sportsbook) were accepted.
Along with those six, Betr will debut sometime in April, Bally Bet and Fanatics intend to debut in May, and Betway intends to debut in Q1 2024. As a result, gamblers will have a variety of options to choose from when determining where to put their bets, each with a unique set of strengths and limitations.
