Massachusetts Sports Betting: Legal MA Sportsbooks, Apps & Betting Guide

Sports betting is legal and live in Massachusetts. Both online and in-person wagering are available across the Commonwealth, and in just a few years the state has grown into one of the 10 largest betting markets in the country. Bettors placed more than 8.5 billion dollars in wagers across 2025, and the market set consecutive monthly handle records through the fall of 2025, peaking at roughly 914.6 million dollars in November.

There are seven licensed online sportsbooks and three retail sportsbooks operating in the state, all overseen by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, known as the MGC. The MGC handles licensing, compliance, enforcement, responsible gambling programs, and the state voluntary self-exclusion program, and it publishes detailed monthly revenue reports that make Massachusetts one of the most transparent betting markets in the nation.

To bet legally you must be at least 21 years old and physically located inside Massachusetts. You do not need to be a state resident. Mobile apps confirm your location using geolocation technology before accepting any wager. This guide covers the legal sportsbooks accepting Massachusetts players, the risks of offshore sites, retail locations, the full legal history and timeline, mobile and live betting, the laws and taxes, bet types, teams to bet on, and the alternative ways to wager in the state.

Yes. Sports betting is fully legal in Massachusetts. Former Gov. Charlie Baker signed House Bill 5164, also called the Massachusetts Sports Wagering Act, into law on Aug. 10, 2022. The law is codified as Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 23N. Retail sportsbooks launched first on Jan. 31, 2023, and online and mobile betting followed on March 10, 2023, timed to coincide with March Madness.

The legal forms of wagering are mobile and online sports betting, in-person retail sports betting at licensed casinos, and daily fantasy sports. Online casino gaming, also called iGaming, is not currently legal, though several bills to authorize it remain under discussion. Betting on Massachusetts college teams is prohibited except when those teams play in a tournament involving four or more teams, college player props are banned entirely, and there is no betting on high school sports.

Anyone who is 21 or older and physically within state lines can bet, including visitors. The state boundary for betting purposes extends up to three miles off the Massachusetts coast. Before placing a bet, the MGC advises consumers to look for the official Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved seal on an operator’s site or app, which signals a licensed, regulated platform and distinguishes it from illegal offshore alternatives.

Are Offshore Sportsbooks Legal in Massachusetts?

No. Offshore sportsbooks are not legal in Massachusetts. They hold no license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, and operating an unlicensed gambling business that accepts Massachusetts bets violates state law. These sites are based in jurisdictions such as Panama, Costa Rica, Curacao and Antigua, outside the reach of any United States regulator. Some claim they can accept bets from anywhere in the country, but because sports betting is licensed state by state, only MGC-licensed books are legal options. The MGC explicitly warns that only operators on its official licensee list are allowed to take bets in the Commonwealth.

The Risks of Using Offshore Sportsbooks

Offshore sites offer none of the consumer protections that come with a state license. Your deposits are not held in segregated, audited accounts, so there is no guarantee your money is safe. There is no state regulator to appeal to if a payout is denied, delayed or your balance is frozen, and no reliable recourse to recover funds if a site shuts down or stops paying. Age and addiction safeguards are weak or absent. When an offshore book exits a state under legal pressure, the bettors left behind are often stuck with geo-blocked accounts and trapped balances. Many offshore brands deliberately copy the colors, layout and bonus language of licensed US apps so they feel familiar, but familiar is not the same as licensed.

Massachusetts Crackdown on Offshore Books

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has actively targeted illegal offshore operators. In October 2024, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office sent a cease-and-desist letter to the operators behind Bovada, demanding the site stop serving Massachusetts residents, after which Bovada exited the state entirely and no longer accepts Massachusetts players. In late June 2025, the office sent cease-and-desist letters to BetOnline.ag and Sportsbetting.ag, both headquartered in Panama City, Panama, warning of injunctive relief, restitution and civil penalties of up to 5,000 dollars per violation. The Attorney General has also launched a Youth Sports Betting Safety Coalition to raise awareness of the laws and risks for young people. The reviews below cover offshore brands that still accept Massachusetts players.

We do not recommend any offshore sportsbook. The only way to bet safely and legally in Massachusetts is through an operator licensed by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

Mobile betting is the backbone of the Massachusetts market, accounting for more than 98 percent of all wagers in many months. All seven licensed operators offer apps for Apple and Android devices, downloadable from the App Store or Google Play. The app is the same across states, so you simply select Massachusetts once it opens.

To place a mobile wager you must be 21 or older and physically located inside Massachusetts. Every app uses geolocation technology to confirm your location, and that technology is calibrated to be cautious, meaning you are more likely to be wrongly denied while inside the state than to slip through from outside it. You do not need to be a resident, and the state boundary extends up to three miles off the coast.

Common deposit and withdrawal methods include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, online and ACH bank transfers, PayPal, Venmo, the Play Plus card, PayNearMe and cash at the casino cage for retail. The law prohibits funding a sportsbook account with a credit card. Deposits usually clear instantly, while withdrawals range from within 24 hours for the fastest methods to a few business days for bank transfers.

Massachusetts Sportsbook App Ratings

App store ratings give a quick read on each operator’s mobile experience. The figures below reflect recent Apple App Store and Google Play ratings for the licensed Massachusetts apps.

Live betting, also called in-game or in-play betting, lets you wager after an event has started, with odds that update in real time as the action unfolds. It is available at all licensed Massachusetts online sportsbooks and is one of the most popular features in the market. During a single live event, a sportsbook can offer dozens of constantly shifting markets.

To live bet, sign up with a licensed book, find the Live or In-Play tab, then place wagers as the game develops. Several operators pair live betting with live streaming so you can watch and bet in one place. Popular live markets include next touchdown, drive outcome and player props in football; quarter totals, player points and team to score next in basketball; and next goal, period winner and shots on goal in hockey. Because live betting moves fast, setting limits is a smart way to stay in control.

Among the licensed books, FanDuel and DraftKings are widely regarded for the strongest live and same-game parlay products, BetMGM is known for extensive in-play markets with live streaming, and Caesars offers strong live odds boosts. Keep in mind that the proposed Bettor Health Act would ban in-game and prop betting if it becomes law. As of the date of this guide, live and in-game betting remain fully legal and available.

Market Growth Since Launch

Massachusetts handled 7.4 billion dollars in wagers during its first full year in 2024 and topped 8.5 billion dollars in 2025. Online betting accounts for the overwhelming majority of all wagers, more than 98 percent in some months, with retail making up the small remainder. December 2025 alone produced 845.3 million dollars in handle and 19.6 million dollars in state tax revenue.

License Categories

MGL Chapter 23N created three categories of license and capped total online licenses at 15. Category 1 licenses are tied to the state’s casinos, which can run retail sportsbooks and partner with online apps. Category 2 licenses cover horse racing tracks and simulcast facilities, including Raynham Park and Suffolk Downs. Category 3 licenses are for online and mobile operators. Of the 15 online licenses, eight are tied to a land-based partner, known as tethered licenses, and seven are open to competitive bidding, known as untethered licenses. More than 30 companies submitted application materials to the MGC during the original process, and the Commission posts redacted versions of those submissions publicly.

License Fees and Terms

Each license application carries a fee of 200,000 dollars. A permanent license lasts five years and costs 5 million dollars, while a temporary license lasts one year and costs 1 million dollars. Operators that hold only a temporary license must renew to continue, and several, including WynnBET and Betr, exited rather than renew after their one-year terms.

How the MGC Regulates the Market

The official sports wagering regulations are found in Title 205 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, or 205 CMR, maintained by the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. These regulations govern licensing, operations, approved wagers, responsible gaming, self-exclusion and more. New rules take effect once published in the Massachusetts Register. The MGC also maintains a public Noncompliance Enforcement Actions tracker documenting penalties imposed by the Commission and its Investigations and Enforcement Bureau.

Proposed Rule Changes

The MGC regularly proposes new rules and invites public comment, with citizens, operators and vendors all able to submit feedback on specific regulation sections. Recent proposed rulemaking has included 205 CMR 248.12 on account withdrawals, 205 CMR 3.28 on prohibited practices, and amendments to the self-exclusion and patron-access rules. Anyone can comment through the MGC website by citing the regulation and subsection.

Taxes

Operators pay 20 percent on online, or Category 3, revenue and 15 percent on retail, or Category 1 and 2, revenue, and they cannot deduct promotional credits from taxable income. For bettors, winnings are subject to the state flat 5 percent income tax plus federal taxes, with federal withholding of 24 percent applying to certain large wins above 5,000 dollars. When an operator’s adjusted gross receipts for a month are negative because payouts and federal excise taxes exceed total receipts, the law lets the operator carry the negative amount forward to future months.

Where the Tax Money Goes

Taxes on gross sports wagering revenue are distributed to specific state funds set out in Chapter 23N. These include the General Fund, the Gaming Local Aid Fund, the Workforce Investment Trust Fund, the Public Health Trust Fund, which supports problem gambling research, prevention and treatment, and a Sports Wagering Fund. The MGC publishes the full allocation breakdown alongside its monthly revenue reports.

Monthly Revenue Reporting

Every licensee must file detailed revenue reports each month, and the MGC publishes them on a set public schedule, broken out by individual operator and by category. The reports date back to February 2023, the first full month of legal sports betting, and make Massachusetts one of the most transparent betting markets in the country. The Commission also publishes separate monthly daily fantasy sports tax reports.

Consumer Protections

Licensed operators must maintain significant consumer protections and responsible gaming programs. The MGC publishes an approved seal that licensed apps display so bettors can confirm they are on a legal platform. Bettors who have a dispute over a wager can file a formal Sports Wagering Patron Dispute form with the Commission by mail or email. As of June 2026, operators must also notify bettors within 48 hours when their accounts are limited and explain why.

Other Legal Provisions

The law bans funding accounts with credit cards. It does not ban advertising outright but requires that 21-and-over language appear on all standalone sports betting logos at Fenway Park, TD Garden and Gillette Stadium. Operators cannot deduct promotional credits from taxable revenue. Each operator must publish house rules, available on its MGC licensee page, and the Commission keeps an archive of obsolete house rules. The MGC maintains an approved events and wagers catalog and must sign off on new markets before they can be offered, with operators applying through a Petition for New Events or Wagers form.

Enforcement and Fines

The MGC actively enforces its rules. DraftKings was fined 450,000 dollars for allowing credit card deposits, Fanatics was fined for accepting illegal wagers on a Boston College football game, and BetMGM faced an adjudicatory hearing over thousands of illegal college player prop wagers. The Commission has also taken a national lead on player-limiting transparency and has scrutinized sportsbook VIP programs.

Recent and Pending Legislation

Several bills have been filed since launch. The Bettor Health Act, sponsored by state Sen. John Keenan and tracked as S.302, proposes banning prop bets and in-game betting, mandating affordability checks, prohibiting betting ads during televised games, and raising the online tax rate from 20 percent to 51 percent. Separate bills, including SB 235 and HB 332, seek to authorize online casino gaming, which remains illegal. None of these had become law as of the date of this guide. The state has also been in active litigation against prediction-market platforms such as Kalshi and Robinhood over sports event contracts.

Official Resources

For primary sources and official information, see the Massachusetts Gaming Commission sports wagering hub at massgaming.com, the MGC licensees list at massgaming.com licensees, the approved events and wagers page at massgaming.com approved wagers, the regulations at massgaming.com regulations, the monthly revenue reports at massgaming.com revenue, and the voluntary self-exclusion program at massgaming.com self-exclusion. The problem gambling helpline is at gamblinghelplinema.org.

How to Contact the MGC

Massachusetts Gaming Commission, 101 Federal Street, 12th Floor, Boston, MA 02110. Phone: (617) 979-8400. Fax: (617) 725-0258. Email: mgccomments@massgaming.gov.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is the sole state regulator for all sports wagering, casino gaming and horse racing in the Commonwealth. It oversees licensing, compliance, enforcement, responsible gambling programs and the voluntary self-exclusion program, and it publishes detailed monthly revenue reports for every licensed operator. Enforcement runs through the MGC’s Investigations and Enforcement Bureau. The Massachusetts State Lottery Commission separately regulates lottery games. The MGC’s responsible gaming work runs through the PlayWell program, which replaced GameSense in 2026, along with the PlayMyWay budgeting tool.

Moneyline

A simple bet on which team or player wins. For example, the Celtics at -165 means you wager 165 dollars to win 100, while a Clippers underdog at +145 pays 145 on a 100 dollar bet. The team only has to win outright.

Point Spread

A handicap that the favored team must overcome. A Patriots -2.5 spread requires them to win by three or more. Baseball uses the run line and hockey uses the puck line in the same way, and alternate spreads are available.

Over/Under Totals

A wager on the combined scoring of both teams rather than who wins. If a Celtics total is set at 225.5, the over needs 226 or more points and the under needs 225 or fewer. Totals are also offered on team scoring and on individual quarters, halves, innings and periods.

Prop Bets

Wagers on a specific occurrence not tied to the final result, such as a quarterback throwing for over a set number of yards, a player recording a triple-double, or which half is highest scoring. These include player props, team props and game props.

Parlays and Same-Game Parlays

Multiple selections combined into one wager for a larger payout. Every leg must win or the whole bet loses. Same-game parlays combine outcomes from a single game, and round robins break multiple selections into smaller combined bets.

Teasers

A parlay variation that lets you move the lines in your favor across legs in exchange for a reduced payout, for example shifting the Patriots from -4.5 to +2.5 in a six-point teaser.

Futures

Long-term wagers on outcomes like the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Championship or Stanley Cup, plus season win totals and player awards such as MVP, Cy Young or the Heisman. Under MGC rules, futures and other wagers tied to postseason qualification are settled as losing if the team does not make the tournament or postseason, unless the wager description says otherwise.

Live Bets

In-play wagers placed while a game is happening, with odds that move in real time. Expect live moneylines, spreads, totals and props.

Awards and Draft Bets

The MGC permits wagering on approved awards and special events, and on all approved league drafts, such as the NFL Draft.

In-State College Teams

No wagering is permitted on any college team located in Massachusetts unless that team is participating in a tournament of four or more teams, such as the NCAA basketball tournament or the College Football Playoff. This covers schools including Boston College, UMass, Harvard and Boston University. College player props are banned entirely, regardless of whether the team is in-state or out-of-state.

High School and Youth Sports

Betting on high school and youth sports is not permitted in any form.

Russian and Belarusian Events

Wagers on any sport or sporting event overseen by Russian or Belarusian governing bodies, leagues, events or players are not allowed in the Commonwealth.

Judged Events

Wagers on events whose final outcome is primarily based on the evaluation of a judge or panel of judges are prohibited. This applies to a long list of competitions named in the catalog, including Summer and Winter Olympic competition and trials, the Commonwealth Games, the X Games, the World Athletics Championships and related athletics tours, International Skating Union World Championships and World Cup events, International Bobsleigh and Skeleton and Luge Federation World Championships, and International Ski Federation events such as the World Cup and the Four Hills Tournament. In practice this rules out markets on judged disciplines like figure skating and ski jumping while still allowing many timed or scored Olympic events.

Other Catalog Rules

Wagering on approved awards and special events is allowed, and so is wagering on all approved league drafts. Tickets can be cashed out at a property’s main cage 24 hours a day whenever the cage is open. The MGC has also at times disallowed specific novelty markets, such as the Super Bowl coin toss, and the state does not permit betting on the LIV Golf tour or its players.

NFL

The NFL is the single largest betting market in the state, driven by the New England Patriots. Every regular season, playoff and Super Bowl game is available across all books, with moneylines, spreads, totals, props and futures. The Patriots’ run to Super Bowl 60 in the 2025-26 season generated massive statewide betting volume.

MLB

The Red Sox keep baseball betting active year-round, with full game lines, run lines, totals, player props and futures. The 2025 Red Sox postseason push helped Massachusetts post its first 800 million dollar month in September 2025.

NBA

The Celtics are one of the most popular betting targets in the state. Their 2024 championship and continued contention keep NBA handle strong, with full game and player prop markets for every matchup.

NHL

The Bruins maintain a loyal following, with moneylines, puck lines, totals and player props on every game. FanDuel’s Bruins partnership often brings team-specific promotions.

College Sports

Out-of-state college games are fully available, but you cannot bet on in-state schools such as Boston College, UMass or Harvard unless they are in a tournament of four or more teams, which makes March Madness especially popular. College player props are banned across the board.

Other Sports

Markets are also available for UFC and MMA, golf majors such as the Masters and US Open, NASCAR, MLS and international soccer including the World Cup and Premier League, tennis, and the UFL. Approved esports are limited to Madden, NBA 2K and EA FC.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Daily fantasy sports have been legal in Massachusetts since 2018, predating sportsbooks, and the state is one of the most active DFS markets in the country thanks in part to DraftKings’ Boston roots. Operators include DraftKings, FanDuel, PrizePicks, Sleeper and others. DFS operators register with the MGC and pay a separate fantasy tax that the Commission reports monthly. Note that the Attorney General has challenged certain pick-em style contests as functioning like illegal sports betting.

Horse Racing

Horse racing and pari-mutuel betting are legal and can be done online through licensed racebooks such as FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires, or via simulcast at off-track facilities. Plainridge Park Casino is the state’s primary harness racing venue, and a portion of gaming revenue supports the Race Horse Development Fund.

Prediction Markets

Prediction market apps let users trade contracts tied to future events, including some sports outcomes. Their legal status in Massachusetts is contested, as the state has pursued litigation and a court injunction against Kalshi over sports event contracts, with related disputes involving Robinhood and Polymarket.

Massachusetts Lottery

The Massachusetts Lottery offers draw games, scratch tickets and more, and the state has moved toward launching online lottery sales. The lottery is regulated separately from sports betting by the State Lottery Commission.

Experienced bettors often hold accounts at several licensed books, and there are good reasons to do so. You can claim multiple welcome bonuses, one per sportsbook. You can shop for the best line or odds on a given market, since prices vary between operators. You get access to a wider range of bet types and features, since some books offer markets and tools that others do not. And you can find the app and interface you are most comfortable with. The main caution is that some bonuses carry playthrough or rollover requirements, so always read the terms.