Massachusetts Sports Betting: Four Things You Need to Know

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has approved multiple online sportsbooks in MA which officially launched on March 10, 2023. We’ve compiled a list of four things you need to know about legal online sports betting now it's live in Massachusetts.

Legal online sports betting in Massachusetts is finally here. After years of negotiations and deliberations, MA lawmakers agreed, on August 1, 2022, on legislation to bring legal sports betting to the state. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has approved multiple retail and online sportsbooks in MA which subsequently launched on March 10, 2023.

Will Massachusetts online sports betting be live for March Madness?

Well, obviously! There is no sports betting event in the United States quite like March Madness. Everyone from die-hard college basketball fans to office workers circling random teams on their bracket gets swept up in the thrilling 68-team tournament that eventually crowns the NCAA Basketball champions. Unlike the Super Bowl that is limited to just one game on one day, the NCAA Tournament contains 67 games stretching out across a span of three weeks.

March Madness begins when the First Four play-in games tip off on Tuesday, March 14. That coincides well with the launch of legal online sports betting in Massachusetts on Friday, March 10. Sports fans will have plenty of time to sign up and activate their accounts at their favorite online sportsbooks ahead of the action. And you can check out Dimers’ college basketball page for CBB picks and predictions, best bets, the best odds on each game and much more.

It is worth noting in this section that Massachusetts will not allow regular season betting on in-state college teams such as Boston College and Harvard. Betting on college sports will only be legal for all out-of-state teams all season long, and should any Massachusetts-based teams advance into the NCAA Tournament, it will be legal to bet on them during the postseason.

How many online sportsbooks are available in Mass.?

On February 23, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission announced that each of the following nine legal online sportsbooks has been approved for a sports betting license in MA:

Which sportsbooks will be in Massachusetts?

Sportsbook	Offer	Value
Bally Bet	NO	-
Barstool	NO	-
BetMGM	YES	Up to $1000
betr	NO	-
Caesars	NO	-
DraftKings	YES	$200
Fanatics	NO	-
FanDuel	YES	$200
WynnBET	YES	$100

Barstool, BetMGM, betr, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel and WynnBET all went live on the Massachusett’s launch day of Friday, March 10. All of these online sportsbooks are well-established around the country and will allow players to access their accounts by visiting their websites or by using their online sports betting mobile apps in Massachusetts.

Bally Bet and Fanatics are both projected to delay their launches in Massachusetts until May. Betway is in the process of getting its temporary license approved and is expected to join the legal sports betting market in Massachusetts in 2024. PointsBet and bet365 both withdrew their applications and do not currently have plans to operate in MA.

MA Sportsbook Offers: Four of the Best

1. DraftKings Sportsbook: Bet $5, Get $200

We kick things off with Boston's favorite sports betting brand, the one and only DraftKings.

With our DraftKings link sports lovers in Massachusetts who bet on any game can take advantage of a bet $5 and instantly get $200 in Bonus Bets offer when you click ➡️ here ⬅️. The Massachusetts sports betting launch has officially arrived! Don’t wait to collect this incredible value from DraftKings Massachusetts, so tap ➡️ here ⬅️ to claim yours.

2. FanDuel Sportsbook: Bet $5, Get $200

Next up is FanDuel, to date America's most popular sportsbook and dominating most other markets.

With this FanDuel Massachusetts promo code, new users in Massachusetts can collect a Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets offer when you click ➡️ here ⬅️. Online sports betting in Massachusetts is the hottest thing in town; new users need to collect this FanDuel Massachusetts offer before it’s too late, so tap ➡️ here ⬅️ to get your hands on FanDuel's launch offer.

3. BetMGM Sportsbook - Up to $1,000 paid back in Bonuses

How about this for an offer?! BetMGM Sportsbook has a Massachusetts launch offer that simply has to be seen to be believed. All new Massachusetts customers will score up to $1000 paid back in bonus bets if their first best loses.

That's right, simply register with BetMGM to claim this offer.

Create your BetMGM account ➡️ here ⬅️

4. WynnBet

With our WynnBet promo code, new players in Massachusetts gambling on any sporting event on  can obtain a Bet $100, Get $100 in bet credits offer by clicking ➡️ here ⬅️. With the Massachusetts sports betting just getting under way, Bay Staters are jumping all over this incredible offer.

Can sports fans in Massachusetts bet on their local teams?

Massachusetts is home to some of the most passionate sports fans and most storied professional franchises in the country. These loyal fans are now able to legally bet on all of their favorite local teams:

• NFL: New England Patriots
• NBA: Boston Celtics
• MLB: Boston Red Sox
• NHL: Boston Bruins
• MLS: New England Revolution

Boston’s teams are on top of the sports world right now as the Boston Celtics have one the best records in the NBA, while the Boston Bruins have the best record in the NHL. The legalization of online sports betting in Massachusetts comes just ahead of April when the Celtics and Bruins will be in the playoffs, the New England Revolution will be in action and the Boston Red Sox will open their 2023 campaign. And when the 2023 NFL season rolls around, New England Patriots fans will finally be able to legally bet on the Pats at long last.

As mentioned above, Massachusetts will not allow regular season betting on in-state college teams such as Boston College and Harvard. Betting on college sports will be legal for all out-of-state teams all season long, and should any Massachusetts-based teams advance into the NCAA Tournament, it will be legal to bet on them during the postseason.

How big will sports betting be in Massachusetts?

If other states are anything to go by, then the answer is BIG. Most recently, legal sports betting launched in Ohio on January 1, 2023 with great success. Reports indicated that over 11 million geolocation sports betting transactions took place on just January 1 and January 2 alone. There were high expectations around Ohio’s launch and early indications suggest that those expectations were met and exceeded.

Could Massachusetts generate as much interest in sports betting as Ohio did, or perhaps even more? Ohio’s population of 11.7 million is significantly larger than Massachusetts’ 6.98 million, and the state also has two NFL, MLB and MLS teams. With that said, Massachusetts’ pro sports teams all have rich histories and passionate fan bases that could lead to more legal sports betting interest in MA.

It will also be interesting to see how well DraftKings performs in Massachusetts. Long before DraftKings was one of the most recognizable and popular online sportsbooks around the nation it was known for providing daily fantasy sports after being founded out of Boston in 2012. DraftKings still has its headquarters in Boston, and it’s safe to assume this powerhouse online sportsbook will have something big in store for its home state.

Whether Massachusetts online sports betting manages to outshine Ohio or not, there’s no doubt this state launch will be a huge success.

If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, call 1-800-327-5050 or visit www.mahelpline.org/problemgambling to speak with a trained specialist for free, 24/7. 21+ and present in MA. Bonus issued in non-withdrawable bonus bets that expires 30 days after the sportsbook accepts its first real money sports wager in Massachusetts (“Go Live Date”). Unique user identity verification required.