Massachusetts Casinos and Gambling

Short Summary: On this page, we break down the state of all of the different forms of gambling in Massachusetts, potential new legislation that will authorize sports betting and explore the live and online casino options available to players.

Massachusetts has played an important role in the history of the United States, but they’ve never been known as a powerhouse in the annals of gaming history. That’s slowly changing, however, and the purpose of this article is to explore the ever-shifting landscape of gambling in “The Codfish State.”

Massachusetts is a state that has been consistently just behind others in terms of the legality of most forms of gambling, though they eventually come around. They are one of the most recent states to finally legalize and open Commercial Casinos.

Charitable Gambling in Massachusetts is permitted, but the revenues therefrom are subject to some of the higher taxes in the country, either 5% or 10% of the total amount wagered, depending on the form of gambling in question. Permissible forms of gambling are Beano (Bingo), Raffles, Pull-Tabs and Bazaars. Pull-Tabs are taxed at the 10% rate of the amount wagered, otherwise, 5%. Not that these forms of gambling payout particularly well in the first place in terms of return-to-player, but one must assume they are worse in Massachusetts because of the huge cut that is taken directly out of bet amount rather than operator win.

Massachusetts is one of the more recent states to make dog racing illegal, although for all practical purposes, no active dog tracks have operated in the state in quite some time. Horse racing and pari-mutuel betting (as well as simulcast) on same are still perfectly legal.

Lottery information is available for the state as recently as the Fiscal Year 2018.

As we see, the lottery pulled in $5,291,951,000 in lottery revenues with total payouts of $3,891,554,000, which is an overall return-to-player of about 73.537% (Pretty good by lottery standards) and a total loss to the players of about $1,400,397,000. Based on a population of around 6,902,000, the loss amounts to approximately $202.897276/resident.

While Massachusetts participates in the major national lotteries of Powerball and Mega Millions, sales are largely driven by instant tickets (scratch-offs) as well as the Keno game. Both of these types of games are generally going to have better returns than the national jackpot games, so as a result, we can link the relatively high RTP to the fact that most lottery sales stem from one of these two things. In fact, 86.725% of all lottery sales came from either instant tickets or keno.

Top 4 Massachusetts Casino Sites

Top sites ranked by 10 years of experience

1	Vegas Casino Online	100% up to $11,000 Sign up	Read Review Play Players Accepted
2	Shazam Casino	250% up to ∞	Read Review Play Players Accepted
3	Bovada Casino	125% up to $1,250	Read Review Play Players Accepted
4	Lucky Tiger Casino	300% up to $3,000 Sign up	Read Review Play Players Accepted

The Legality Of Online Gambling In Massachusetts

Update (Dec 22): According to CBS Sports, Massachusetts legalized online sports wagering in August of 2022 and the services are expected to be available sometime in 2023, most likely, in early 2023.

NBC Boston reports that six potential operators have applied for the state’s seven mobile-only sports betting licenses, as of November of 2022.

The Massachusetts laws are interesting in that they are one of only a few states to allow sports betting in a way such that the operator need no ties to a land casino whatsoever. As many are already aware, Massachusetts only has a few land casinos (listed below), so as a result, the law created would allow for fifteen total licenses for online sports betting, with potentially as many as seven of those licenses being for mobile sports betting only, which means no ties to a land casino would be needed. In contrast, most other states require that all online gambling activities be tied to a land casino.

The good news for the state is that they are already making money as they had non-refundable license application fees! Quoting from NBC, in part:

The six companies that applied by Monday’s deadline are: Bally Bet, Betr, Betway (DGC USA), DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet. One mobile betting company, bet365, filed an application to eventually partner with Raynham Park, which was not subject to Monday’s deadline.
The applications received by Monday’s deadline will be reviewed during public meetings of the Gaming Commission. The commission said Monday that more information on the scheduling of those meetings is forthcoming.
Each company that applied for a sports betting license also had to submit a non-refundable $200,000 application fee by Monday. That means the Gaming Commission took in $3 million in application fees Monday.

As you can see, the state made a cool three million before a single bet has been placed; I suppose that’s good business, if nothing else.

Most of these operators can be found in the majority of other states that already have online sports betting; the only ones that I don’t recall ever seeing are Bally Bet and Betr. The last four listed are fairly common, especially DraftKings and Fanduel.

We would expect that the licenses for the major operators will be approved.

Interestingly, the state is going to have a 20% tax on all mobile wagering revenues, which might signal to other states to increase their tax rates upward.

In the meantime, Massachusetts did not include any provisions for online casino-style games or poker in the sports wagering bill, so that will be an issue to be tackled separately. It’s difficult to imagine that they would not eventually pass something, especially when they see the revenues, via taxes, pouring into other states, such as nearby Pennsylvania. Massachusetts also has a fairly sizable population, ranking #15 as of 2022, so there’s plenty of money to be had.

If casino games are your thing, then please check out our top recommended casinos offering their services to the residents of Massachusetts, located above!

Massachusetts has a smorgasbord of laws relating to illegal gambling being conducted by operators, but when it comes to unauthorized forms of gambling, there are also potential penalties for players who either win or lose $5 or more. The potential fine is double the amount won. It is also illegal to be doing any form of unauthorized gambling (as a player) in a public place.

With that said, as long as you’re winning or losing less than $5 at a time, you should automatically be fine. Beyond that, we have not heard of any mere players facing any adverse consequences for online gambling. In our research, any adverse consequences for players or operators have come by way of unlawful sports betting or unlawful poker games.

In the meantime, while there have been modicum efforts to legalize online (casino and poker) gambling in the past, it seems that Massachusetts is more focused on this sports bill for the time being. Although, if the sports betting bill somehow did become law, one would think that online gambling couldn’t be far behind.

Land Casinos In Massachusetts

There are currently three Commercial Casinos in the State of Massachusetts and zero Indian Casinos. After a protracted battle, the Aquinnah Tribe has recently won the right to construct a bingo hall that will also have the ability to have Class II (Electronic Bingo) machines.

Originally, the State of Massachusetts prevented this citing a 1983 land settlement by and through which the tribe agreed to be subject to the state laws, which at the time, included no casinos whatsoever. In the interim, the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act went into effect in 1988. The tribe argued that the 1988 Act takes precedence and makes null and void that aspect of the 1983 agreement, and they won!

Pretty crappy of the state to conduct Commercial Casino gambling while trying to keep the tribe from operating any sort of gambling just to limit their competition…but what do you expect?

The bingo hall has broken ground, but is not finished as of the time of this writing. Therefore, Massachusetts is home to the following:

Encore Boston Harbor

This casino is not yet open, but we are listing it because it is scheduled to open next month. (June 2019) Expect this section to be updated at that time.

MGM Springfield

MGM Springfield is a mega-casino located in Springfield, Massachusetts and unsurprisingly is owned by MGM Resorts. As a result, this casino is affiliated with the national MLIFE players club rewards program. This property has 125,000 square feet of total gaming space and opened in August of 2018. The total square footage of the property is around two million.

The hotel consists of a total 200 guestrooms and suites. In terms of amenities, there is a spa, fitness center and pool accessible to hotel guests. Additional non-casino (pay) activities include a Regal Cinemas on-site, shopping and a center with an arcade and bowling. In short, there’s something here for the whole family to do, but no surprise, because the property is meant to be a destination property.

The casino floor consists of 2,550 total slot, video poker and video keno machines spread throughout the main floor as well as the high limit room. There are 120 table games inclusive of Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, Pai-Gow Poker, Three-Card Poker, Four-Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, Casino War, Big 6 Wheel, Let it Ride and Spanish 21. As always, if you’re not necessarily looking for the most common table games, then you will want to call and check the usual hours of operation for your game of choice. The property also features a fairly modest poker room consisting of 23 tables.

There is an impressive number of eateries, as one would expect, at this property. The Chandler Steakhouse is the highly recommended fine-dining option. Cal Mare is a casual Italian restaurant, TAP Sports Bar offers bar eats and an impressive beer selection, South End Market is a quick bite casual option, Cal Mare Pizza Counter does what it says on the box and the property is also home to a Starbucks location.

The property features occasional national comedy acts, such as Lewis Black, who is scheduled to appear in December of 2019. There are also a number of other entertainment venues both at and near the property, but it’s tough to tell from the website which are actually there and which are merely nearby. Nightlife includes the Commonwealth Bar and Lounge, The Knox Bar and The Lobby Bar…the Commonwealth often features live musical acts.

Plainridge Park Casino

Plainridge Park Casino is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and is leased by Penn National Gaming. While not a Hollywood Casino in name, this property is affiliated with the MyChoice and Marquee Rewards players club programs. The property is not home to a hotel of its own, but it does partner with nearby hotels to offer discounts to casino patrons. Are these discounts better than other discounts or offers? Sometimes yes and sometimes no, don’t be afraid to do your research and ask questions to get the best deal.

The casino is home to 1,200 slot machines ranging in denomination from pennies all the way up to $100 machines located in the high-limit room. While the casino may not offer live table games, they do have electronic versions of Blackjack, Craps and Roulette.

The dining options are fairly decent for a casino of this size consisting of Slack’s Oyster House and Grill, Flutie’s Sports Pub and a food court with four choices: Dunkin’ Donuts, Smashburger, Grab & Game and Slice. Revolution Lounge and The Loft both feature various forms of entertainment including live music and comedy shows.

Essentially, this is not a destination casino unto itself, but probably has quite enough to offer for one or two nice evenings if you happen to be in that area anyway.

Parimutuel Wagering in Massachusetts

Parimutuel Wagering in Massachusetts Harness and thoroughbred racing are alive and well in Massachusetts, and these events usually take place during the summer and fall. Racing facilities also offer year-round wagering on races in other parts of the nation, and these can be enjoyed in a climate-controlled environment on a wide array of TV monitors.

Greyhound racing used to exist in the state, but this came to an end thanks to the Massachusetts Greyhound Protection Act. The legislation imposed heavy fines on any facility providing dog racing, and the industry was wiped out by 2010.

Plainridge Racecourse – Opened in 1999, this course offers harness racing from April through November, as well as live simulcast for national races. They also received a license to add a slot machine parlor in 2014.
Suffolk Downs – This racetrack opened in 1935. While it’s been forced to close on two occasions, it remains the most historic racing venue in the state. Thoroughbred takes place on two tracks, while live simulcasting is available throughout the year.
Three County Fair – Held annually in Northampton, this event offers live thoroughbred racing during the month of September.

While simulcast racing can be enjoyed at the state’s two racetracks, you won’t be able to find it anywhere else. That means Massachusetts has no off-track betting facilities, which is a slight disappointment.

Lottery in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts lottery was created in 1971, and the first drawing in 1972 awarded $50,000 to seven players. In 1974, they became the first state to sell instant tickets. In 1996, they joined with five other states to create a multi-state game that would later become the popular Mega Millions drawing. 2014 saw the introduction of “World Class Millions,” a $30 scratch-off ticket with a top prize of $15 million.

Revenue from the lottery is distributed to 351 towns and cities across the state. While many states earmark the cash for public education, Massachusetts allows each region to determine how best to spend the money. In 2014, $920.2 million was distributed across the Commonwealth.

The only negative to the game is the high tax imposed by the state. The federal level normally withholds five percent on prizes over $5,000, but Massachusetts does this on any winnings over $600. If you’re lucky enough to win $5,000 or more, the withholding tax is at least 30%.

Instant tickets are available at thousands of licensed retailers throughout the state. The cost of a ticket starts at $1 and goes as high as $30. By joining the online Red Carpet VIP Club, players can even win money on an otherwise losing instant ticket thanks to a weekly drawing.

The following draw games are currently available:

Mega Millions – Matching five numbers pays $1 million, while also getting the Mega Ball awards the progressive jackpot.
Powerball – Five numbers award a $1 million prize, while five numbers and a Powerball unlock the progressive jackpot.
Lucky for Life – Match five numbers and the lucky ball to win $7,000 a week for life.
Megabucks Doubler – Successfully match six numbers to win a jackpot starting at $500,000.
Mass Cash – Match five numbers and win a top jackpot of $100,000.
Numbers Game – This game pays when the player matches even a single digit, although the winnings are increased if more numbers or the exact order is drawn.
Keno – Three versions of this game are offered, and drawings are held every four minutes.
Jackpot Poker – The player is paid based on the strength of their poker hand. A royal straight flush pays the top prize of $25,000.

Slot Machine Ownership in Massachusetts

According to the state laws of Massachusetts, a private citizen can own a slot machine as long as it’s at least 30 years old. This puts them in the category of “antique gaming machines,” and the logic is that older games of this type aren’t a threat to more modern options (or the businesses that possess the latter). While residents are free to play these machines for fun, they are prohibited by law from using them to turn a profit.

Conclusion And Prognosis

While Massachusetts tends to authorize various forms of gambling a bit later than most states, it seems that they always eventually get around to it. Again, the current sports betting bill (live and online) being considered will be extremely unique as it will consist of enterprises that are independent from the casinos and the lottery, if passed as it stands. This will initially create a tremendous amount of competition thereby resulting in the possibility of more favorable lines being found there than elsewhere. Maybe, maybe not.

Online gambling is not currently legalized and regulated by the state, but plenty of offshore casinos offer themselves to residents. While the current sports betting bill does not relate back to online gambling (with exception to sports betting) one assumes that it’s only going to be a matter of a few years since other nearby states have it.