Is sports betting legal in Massachusetts?

What the law allows

Governor Charlie Baker signed An Act to Regulate Sports Wagering on 10 August 2022, and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission regulates it. The Commission's FAQ gives the dates: retail betting began at the casinos on 31 January 2023, and mobile betting began on 10 March 2023.

The licenses come in categories. On the Commission's list of licensees, the in-person books are at the three casinos: Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park. The mobile books hold Category 3 licenses, some tied to a casino and some standing alone, and that's the page I'd check for the current names, because two of the early mobile books didn't renew.

The age is 21. The Commission's account rules, 205 CMR 248, bar a book from opening an account for anyone younger, and every book's terms have to say that only people over 21 who are inside the authorized boundaries of the Commonwealth may bet. So the app checks where you are standing as well as how old you are. If you live near the New Hampshire or Rhode Island line, I'd expect the odd blocked bet.

The college rule

This is the one people trip over. The Commission's FAQ says books can't offer bets on Massachusetts college teams unless the team is in a college tournament. A team that hasn't qualified yet isn't in it, so there's no betting on whether it will. Once it qualifies, tournament bets are allowed, and the Beanpot counts because the teams qualify automatically. Out-of-state college teams are fair game, and so are tournaments played in Massachusetts. Bets on awards to individual college athletes are not allowed at all.

I think the home-team rule is sound. The local college game is where a book is most exposed to people who know the locker room, and a ban protects the kids more than the book.

Winnings are fully taxable on your federal return.

Where the offshore books fit

Offshore books take players from Massachusetts, but none of them holds a Commission license, so the Commission can't make one pay you or settle a dispute. A licensed book is one the state can hold to account. Our offshore sportsbooks section explains how those books work, and the VPN question covers why hiding your location goes wrong at payout time.

The Commission's problem gambling page gives a free, confidential helpline open around the clock at 1-800-327-5050, and our responsible gambling page has more.

*Checked against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on 28 October 2026. Laws change; this page is re-checked every quarter. This is not legal advice.*