Massachusetts Sports Betting: Best sites & apps for new customers

Massachusetts sports betting is officially up and running in The Bay State, and the Inquirer is here to help guide new Massachusetts players in the right direction on what the best welcome offers are to take advantage of.

Many sportsbooks have received operating certificates in Massachusetts. Fanatics Sportsbook was the latest book to enter the fray. These are a list of the sportsbooks new players can sign-up with in Massachusetts.

FanDuel, BetMGM, and DraftKings are just a few of the sportsbooks who were first to the scene in receiving a Massachusetts sports betting license, while the likes of Fanatics came later.

Additionally, sports betting kiosks similarly to what Ohio offers their residents have been proposed to be located outside of retail casinos, where they’re currently limited to.

One of the biggest questions on new customers’ minds will be whether they can bet on college sports. Many states have restrictions in place for college sports, and Massachusetts is one of them.

Players are unable to wager on in-state teams during the regular season. However, they can wager on teams outside their state. An exception is made when an in-state team is playing in a tournament with four or more teams.

Retail sports betting launched even earlier than online betting, with January 31st being when retail betting was made available in three different casinos in MA: Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino.

This launch of retail betting was just in time for the 2023 Super Bowl, while the online sports betting launch came in time for MA players to bet on the NBA and NHL, March Madness, and the MLB regular season.

Massachusetts’ launch was incredibly successful due to the timing of it being right before March Madness, as well as a time when the Bruins and Celtics were playing phenomenally.

Success in March was incredibly impressive, with an approximate $25 million being wagered daily during launch month.

Likely thanks to the Boston Celtics having made a deep run to the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA, $60.5 million was generated in revenue during the month of May in Massachusetts.

The legalization of sports betting in MA came about in August 2022, after Gov. Charlie Baker signed Bill H. 5164 into law, with sportsbooks able to apply for sports betting licenses since then.

Yes, sports betting has been legal in Massachusetts for a number of months now, after Gov. Charlie Baker signed Bill H5164 into law back in August 2022.

This allowed sports betting to be legal in all formats, with retail, online and mobile betting all going many months later in March of 2023.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is the governing body that’s been put in charge of overseeing sports betting in Massachusetts, with the MGC the ones that are responsible for determining which sportsbooks are eligible for licenses.

They are also the ones who determine which sportsbooks will be eligible for launching in MA following sports betting goes live.

With sports betting live in Massachusetts, players can wager on a whole host of sports, ranging from the most popular sports such as basketball, football and baseball to lesser popular sports such as handball, darts and snooker.

With online sports betting now a live reality in Massachusetts, the Inquirer’s complied a list of the best Massachusetts sports betting sites for you to use as a new customer.

If you aren’t familiar with Fanatics Sportsbook, it’s likely because they’re incredibly new to the sports betting scene. Fanatics has competitive odds, a solid user layout, and a great welcome offer to those in the seven states they’re available in.

You can redeem a fantastic welcome offer from them as well courteous of the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code. Settle a $10 bet each day for five days after opening your account and get $40 in bonus bets each day. This means $200 is the maximum amount you can earn.

Must be 21+ GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (KY/OH/TN, VA, WV) or visit mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), (800)-327-5050 or gamblinghelplinema.org (MA).

This offer is not available in NY, KS, KY & DC.

BetMGM is one of the most popular sportsbooks in the country, with their competitive odds, same game parlays, and odds boosts being a big reason why people choose them as their go-to platform.

Given this, those in the Bay state can take advantage of all that BetMGM has to offer, including their generous bonus code PHILLY1500, which gives you a 20% deposit match worth up to $1,500 in bonus bets.

Your other welcome offer can be redeemed with the BetMGM bonus code INQUIRERGET which unlocks a bet $10 get $200 in bonus bets welcome offer.

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. CO, DC, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY. Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA). 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in DC, Kansas, Kentucky, Nevada, New York or Ontario.

FanDuel are arguably the most well-known and used online sportsbooks in the US, and given how many states they’re live in already, it’s no surprise to see them having gone live in Massachusetts.

FanDuel obtaining a license from MGC was huge for Massachusetts players, as it allow them access to all FD has to offer ranging from their live betting markets and welcome offer to their excellent odds boosts.

The FanDuel promo code gives $150 in bonus bets if your first bet on a moneyline market results in a win.

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Hope is here. Gamblinghelplinema.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or Text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 21+ and present in AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA (permitted parishes only), KY,MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY. FanDuel is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas Star Casino, LLC. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MI, NJ, KY, OH, PA, IL, TN, VA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-522-4700 (WY), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV).

ESPN BET is the newest sportsbook not only in Massachusetts but in the entire country as they went live on November 14, 2023.

The welcome bonus you can get with the ESPN BET promo code is $250 in bonus bets that’re simply earned by settling a wager of any amount on any market. You don’t even need to wait for your bonus bets to expire in order to receive this welcome offer.

You can expect your bonus bets to then be credited as five bonus bets worth $50 each with you having seven days to use each before expiring.

Your account will populate four of the five bonus bets after you submit your first bet. Just give it 24 to 48 hours in order to see your other bonus bet be credited.

New users only, 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Must be physically present in AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, or WV in order to wager. Players must sign up using a specified Promotion code and then place an Eligible Wager on an Eligible Game during the Promotion Period. $200 (four (4) $50 Increments) of the $250 in Bonus Bets will be credited upon making the first bet. Please Gamble Responsibly.

Caesars are one of the most recognizable names on our list, something that is largely down to the fact that their casino brand is one of the most well-known in the world.

As you may expected given the popularity of their brand, Caesars’ Sportsbook is very impressive in a number of key areas. One of them is their fantastic Caesars Sportsbook promo code INQUIRER1000, which allows you to get your first bets stake up to $1,000 back in bonus bets if you don’t win.

21+ only. Offer valid and must be physically present in AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, and WY only. New users and first $10+ wager only. Must register with eligible promo code. Bet amount of qualifying wager returned only if wager is settled as a loss. Maximum Bonus Bet $1,000. Bonus Bet expires 30 days after receipt. Tier Credits and Reward Credits will be added to account within 7 days after qualifying wager settles. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Void where prohibited. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? AZ: Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP; CO, WY, KS (Affiliated with Kansas Crossing Casino): Call 1-800-522-4700; IN: Call 1-800-9-WITH-IT; IA: Call 1-800-BETSOFF; LA: Call 1-877-770-STOP (licensed through Horseshoe Bossier City and Harrah’s New Orleans); MI: Call 1-800-270-7117; IL, MD, NJ, TN, VA, WV, OH, PA (Affiliated with Harrah’s Philadelphia): If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or WV: Visit 1800gambler.net. ©2023, Caesars Entertainment

GAMBLING PROBLEM?

IL, MD, ME, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV: Call 1-800-GAMBLER

MA: CALL 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org

NY: Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369)

Sports betting has never been legal in Massachusetts up until this year, with 2023 being the year in which those in The Bay State finally received sports both online and in-person once sports betting goes live in a few months time.

The first step towards this process began back in July 2020 after the Massachusetts House passed an economic plan that hinted at the future legalization of sports betting in the state.

Efforts to have sports betting legalized were dismissed in November 2020 after failing to put together a plan for the 2021 budget.

Five bills were then put forward in February 2021, with one of these getting to the latter stage of the process in June 2021 by the House, with this being HB 3977, however this was never approved by the Senate.

A breakthrough was finally then achieved come August 2022, as Bill H5164 was signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker as Massachusetts became the latest state to legalize sports betting.

The process of issuing sports betting licenses then get underway, with December 2022 seeing BetMGM get licensed.

More meetings with sportsbook were held with licenses being issued to various betting sites, with seven sports betting sites total having earned licenses and six being live on launch day.

Retail sports betting officially launched January 31st, 2023. March 10th, 2023 is when online sports betting launched.

There are a whole host of major sports teams currently residing in Massachusetts, something that shouldn’t come as a surprise given the state is home to a city the size and stature of Boston.

We’ve gone over and discussed some of the sports teams based in Massachusetts that you’ll be able to bet on once sports betting officially goes live later this year, as well as some of the bets you’ll be able to place on them.

The Celtics are one of the most successful teams in all of basketball, with Boston having won 17 titles in their history up until this point, with their most recent coming back in 2008.

They’ve played host to some of the most popular names in all of basketball in the past, including the likes of Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers.

Their 2022-23 roster was one of the best in the league, boasting the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III, with this team reaching their first NBA final in 10 years in 2022, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors.

The Celtics were eliminated in the 2023 postseason by the Miami Heat in seven games after going down 3-0 to start the series.

The Bruins are, historically, one of the most successful teams in the NHL, with Boston winning six Stanley Cups up until 2023, with only three teams having won more during this time.

They’ve reached the Stanley Cup finals a total of 20 times during their history, with 14 of these ending in defeat, a total that, unfortunately for the Bruins, no team has been able to beat.

They did very well in the 2022-23 regular season, having earned the most points from any team in NHL history. However, they were a shocking first round exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers.

You’ll now have to wait for futures bets for 2024 to appear, which can include wagers such as whether or not they’ll win the Stanley Cup, win the Atlantic Division or whether they’ll make the playoffs or not.

The Patriots are the most successful team in the history of the NFL, winning six Super Bowls up until the start of the 2022-23 season, all of which have come since 2001.

They’ve won the Super Bowl in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018, with this largely being down to the brilliance of Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick, with supporting cast such as Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman also playing key roles.

You’ll be able to wager on all of the Patriots regular season and postseason games, whether or not you think they’ll make the playoffs and whether you think they’ll win the Super Bowl, as well as a number of other markets.

The Red Sox have managed to capture the World Series a total of nine times in their history, with Boston winning just the crown in just their third-ever season back in 1903.

They’ve most recently win the World Series in 2018, beating the Dodgers 4-1 in the final, with Boston going four for four in World Series games this century, winning in 2004, 2007, 2013 and 2018.

Their overall record in the World Series is nine wins from 13 appearances, with Boston boasting quality stars such as Mookie Betts, Cy Young and Dustin Pedroia during its history.

You can bet on all of the Red Sox’s regular season outings this term, if you think they’ll make the playoffs, win the World Series, as well as whether you think they’ll win more or less games than their predetermined line.

New England Revolution have never tasted MLS Cup success in their history, with the Revolution coming closest on five separates occasions, reaching the final in each of the 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2016 campaigns.

They’ve finished atop of the Eastern conference three times, boasting the best record once, with this coming back in 2021.

They’ve hosted players such as Kei Kamara, Taylor Twellman, Lee Nguyen and Clint Dempsey, however despite this, they’re yet to taste MLS glory since being founded in 1996.

All of their regular season games are available to be bet on, and you’ll also able to wager on whether they’ll win the East, make the playoffs or win the MLS Cup.

Massachusetts sees their sports teams in different spots of contention in November. Most notably in the NFL, the Patriots are one of the worst teams in the league and seem destined for a high draft pick.

But basketball and hockey sees the Celtics and Bruins respectively dominate the early goings of their schedule.

Massachusetts players have a wide number of betting options overall with college sports underway at the same time as the major professional sports.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.