The Biggest Massachusetts Sports Betting Stories: Tuck Rule, Comebacks & More

Sports betting is live in Massachusetts! The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has approved multiple online sportsbooks in MA which launched on March 10, 2023. We’re celebrating by reminiscing over five crazy sports betting moments in Massachusetts sports betting history.

From futures bets in the NFL with the New England Patriots to live bets during the Super Bowl, to a crazy comeback in the World Series and everywhere in between, we are here to remember it all! The Boston teams are some of the biggest winners in all of professional sports. 

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.

RELATED: Everything You Need To Know: Massachusetts Sports Betting

The Biggest Sports Betting Moments in Massachusetts History

5. New England Patriots win their first Super Bowl of the Tom Brady Era

Long before Tom Brady became the certifiable G.O.A.T. quarterback in NFL history, he was a no-name late round draft pick of the New England Patriots, backing up Drew Bledsoe. Nobody new what to expect, and while hundreds of backup quarterbacks have taken over as starters with little to no success, Tom Brady instantly turned the Patriots into Super Bowl contenders, and ultimately, champions. If you had seen that coming, well, you're some sort of betting wizard. But you could have scooped up 100-1 odds the week of Brady's first start in Week 3, an incredible payout for an incredible story. The good news? Next time a backup quarterback instantly becomes the greatest player in NFL history, Massachusetts bettors can bet on it, legally.

4. New England Patriots comeback to beat the Oakland Raiders in the "Tuck Rule" game

No good championship run is made without a big moment, and the biggest moment of the Patriots' magical run to their first Brady Super Bowl was the controversial "Tuck Rule" game. Some Michigan Wolverine on Wolverine violence spurred the controversy, as Charles Woodson appeared to forced a fumble out of Brady's throwing arm, a huge play that would likely secure a Raiders victory. The Patriots were favored by three points pre-game, and anyone with a Pats -3 ticket looked headed for a loss. But after a lengthy review, the play was ruled an incomplete pass instead of a fumble, and Brady marched the Patriots down the field to win the game with an Adam Vinatieri field goal, resulting in a push of the three-point spread. One lesson Massachusetts bettors will have to learn: sometimes you take the push and run with it.

3. Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers to win the 2008 NBA Finals

The Lakers opened as -200 favorites in the star-studded NBA Finals in 2009 against their rival Boston Celtics. Shades of Bird vs. Magic re-appeared as the two most storied franchises in the NBA met with everything on the line. The Celtics were chasing their first championship since forming the first NBA "superteam" - adding Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen alongside all-star Paul Pierce. And the acquisitions paid off, as the Celtics ultimately defeated Kobe Bryant's Lakers to clinch the biggest prize in the NBA, and cashing a plus-money ticket for any Celtics backers who bet on Boston to win the NBA Finals before the series started.

2. New England Patriots come back from 28-3 Deficit vs. Atlanta Falcons to Win Super Bowl

Only the Patriots could have another championship moment even crazier than the "Tuck Rule". Arguably the most insane moment in NFL history, the Pats trailed the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 28-3 early in the 2017 Super Bowl. If you were a savvy live bettor in that moment, you could have bet the Pats to win at +1600 odds. And we all know what happened next: Brady methodically led drive after drive to overtake Matt Ryan's Falcons, and with the help of an all-time great Julian Edelman catch, the Patriots re-claimed their throne as Super Bowl champions once more, cashing those +1600 tickets for anyone brave enough to back the Pats on the live line.

1. Boston Red Sox Come Back from Down 0-3 to Beat New York Yankees in 2004 ALCS

Boston sports fans have really had a great time in the last 20 years. The only city that could possibly have a more special comeback than the 28-3 Patriots win is Boston, home of the Red Sox, who made MLB history when they came back from a 3-0 series deficit in the ALCS against their rival New York Yankees to win the series in seven games and advance to the 2004 World Series. If you believed in miracles at the time, you could bet the Red Sox at 120-1 odds after their loss in Game 3. We all know what happened next...the Sox flipped a switch and won four games in a row, building momentum toward their first World Series win since the curse of the Bambino. It would be the first of four World Series victories for the Sox in the next 14 years, and any Boston backers were swimming in winnings.

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.