Feb 3-
- Massachusetts retail sports betting is now live
- MGM Springfield was one of the three state casinos to launch
- Read below to find out more details about Massachusetts sports betting
After what felt like years in the making, Massachusetts sports betting is finally here. Well partially, retail sports betting has gone live. However, the online sports betting launch is expected sometime in March.
Massachusetts Gaming Commission officially launched retail sports betting on Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 at 10:00 AM EST. That means bettors in the Bay State will be able to place bets on Super Bowl 57 featuring the Chiefs vs Eagles.
Massachusetts Sports Betting Is Live
The three retail sportsbooks that went live on Tuesday were MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor, and Plainridge Park Casino. Over the past month, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission was busy issuing retail sports betting licenses to these casinos as they’ve partnered with sports betting brands.
As you could have guessed, MGM Springfield partnered with BetMGM to be able to run a retail sportsbook on Massachusetts sports betting launch. Plainridge partnered with the Barstool Sportsbook and Encore Boston Harbor teamed up with WynnBET.
Massachusetts sports betting opening day 🎰
Former athletes Cedric Maxwell, Matt Light and Johnny Damon place the first bets at @EncoreResortBH WynnBET Sportsbook windows @7News pic.twitter.com/IEGYwMo6s0
— Mari Salazar (@MariSalazarTV) January 31, 2023
The retail sports betting launch only featured a select number of staff and selected guests to come place wagers as a soft launch. For example, MGM Springfield hosted NHL and Bruins legend Ray Bourque, Mayor of Springfield (Domenic Sarno), and other politicians for it’s sportsbook launch.
Encore Boston Harbor hosted a whopping 32 guests to place the first bets at WynnBET. Even Julian Edelman was in attendance to place some wagers after the Massachusetts sports betting launch.
Boston Celtics Future Bet Placed by Julian Edelman
Julian Edelman walked into Encore Boston Harbour and went directly to the WynnBET Sportsbook to place an $11,000 bet on the Boston Celtics to win the NBA Finals.
If the Celtics win, Edelman would net roughly $39K. The Boston Celtics are currently +360 win the championship.
Massachusetts Online Sports Betting Coming Soon
Retail sports betting was the first hoop to jump through, but when is the Massachusetts online sports betting launch coming?
The launch is expected to come in March, hopefully before March Madness for all college basketball bettors. Along with the sportsbooks mentioned above, DraftKings, PointsBet, FanDuel, and Caesars Sportsbook.
Boston-based DraftKings has earned a mobile sports betting licensing in its home state; $DKNG expects to start taking online bets in Massachusetts before March Madness
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) January 19, 2023
The Super Bowl is on February 12th, which means no online bets. However, with Conference Championships and March Madness not too far away, online sportsbooks are hoping the date is established so that users can bet on one of the most electric sporting events of the year.
MGC Executive Director Karen Wells said the retail sports wagering launch was “successful”, which leads me to believe that will encourage the commission to confirm an online sports betting date sooner than later.
Apart from Massachusetts, Ohio online sports betting was the most recent state to launch on January 1st.
