Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts does not license online sportsbooks at the moment, however, a number of offshore gambling sites are accessible from the state. 

The state could be home to sportsbooks as early as 2020, but not before.  This means that anyone looking to place a bet on the 2019 NFL (New England Patriots) and Super Bowl 54, will still need to rely on offshore sportsbooks.

“It’s a complex issue,” said Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, which is leading the discussion. “It’s an issue that we want to be very diligent with, and we want to make sure should Massachusetts go forward with sports betting legalization ... that we do it properly.”

About a dozen states have legalized sports wagering in one form or another since the US Supreme Court reversed decades of prohibition.  While New Jersey offers full service sports betting that includes retail sportsbooks at a stadium, race track and casinos as well as online, other states like Mississippi have opted only to host retail sportsbooks at designated casino properties with mobile access only available at said establishments. 

Currently discussion are only in the "fact finding" stages with two days of public hearings are set for May 28-29 at the Statehouse.

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com