When Is Online Gambling Legal in Massachusetts?
Online gambling is an increasingly popular pastime among players from around the globe. In the US, this industry includes multiple regulated real money casinos that provide poker, roulette, blackjack and other table games online for real money wagering. Some states even permit sports betting online – Massachusetts being one of them! Furthermore, Massachusetts boasts physical casinos offering in-person sports wagering as well as state lotteries and simulcast centers offering horse race simulcasting; we will explore when online gambling legalization in Massachusetts as well as state regulated forms of state regulated gambling that govern the state-regulated industry in this article.
Though Massachusetts may not yet boast a legal, regulated online casino, they do offer legal sports betting. Retail and mobile sportsbooks launched in March 2023 allowing bettors to place bets on various sporting events’ outcomes. Although Massachusetts lagged behind other states when it came to sports betting launch dates, it is expected to become one of the top five markets for both handle and revenue once this industry matures.
Sports betting in Massachusetts provides bettors with multiple wagering options, from single-game and prop bets to futures bets. Pari-mutuel bets may also be placed at racetracks or simulcast centers while online sportsbooks provide live in-game bets as well as next occurrence wagers – MA even allows bettors to place college sports bets!
BetMGM, Caesars and DraftKings all operate licensed sportsbooks in Massachusetts. In order to operate legally in MA, each operator must obtain a license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), with each holding two Massachusetts sportsbook mobile skin licenses per operator. However, the MGC has yet to grant an online casino license in MA as the industry evolves and grows.
Massachusetts may soon launch a regulated online casino that would offer an assortment of gaming titles such as slot machines, video poker and table games – as well as bonuses and promotions – although to play for real money players must be 21 or over. There are free-play social Massachusetts online casinos which accept most major debit and credit cards for safe, secure depositing. Furthermore, these sites give the chance to win real cash prizes in sweepstakes-style competitions. Players can earn virtual goods as a result of their activities on these sites, but are unable to withdraw or exchange them for cash. When MA casinos begin offering real-money gambling, however, they will provide multiple payment methods so players have more choice in how they make payments. The Maryland Gaming Commission (MGC) is expected to grant additional sportsbook operator licenses shortly. Individuals wishing to self-exclude can do so through Maryland’s Voluntary Self-Exclusion (VSE) program, currently available both at retail and digital sportsbooks – this process is free and takes minutes to complete.