Casinos in Massachusetts, a Comprehensive Visitors Guide

There are three commercial casinos operating in the Commonwealth while one also offers live harness racing and is considered a racino or slots parlor. With three casinos and the option for a fourth in the future, Bay State gamblers have several options to bet in person at a casino.

Is it legal to play at online casinos in Massachusetts?

As of now, betting online for real money from an online casino is not legal in the state of Massachusetts. While poker, table games and slots are all readily available at one of the three commercial locations, online gambling has not been approved and there is currently no pending legislation to change that in Massachusetts.

Sports bettors have been able to make online wagers though at one of six online sportsbooks as of March 10, 2023.

Massachusetts online casino law summary

• The Expanded Gambling Act in 2011 granted access to four licenses for commercial casinos
• While three casinos have opened, the fourth, slated for Taunton and to be operated by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, has been delayed due to legal issues
• Online gambling is illegal in Massachusetts and there are no current plans or legislation on the table to change that
• Massachusetts retail sports betting launched on January 31, 2023 and online sports betting followed soon after on March 10, 2023
• Additionally, betting on harness racing online in Massachusetts is legal  

Massachusetts sweepstakes & social casinos

While gambling online for real money is not currently permitted in Massachusetts, you can still play some of your favorite table games and slot games at free-to-play social and sweepstakes casinos.

Massachusetts laws allow for sweepstakes games to be played so long as prizes are given out based on chance and not skill. 

Some of these social casinos include WWO Vegas Casino, Pulse Casino, High 5 Casino, McLuck Casino and Stake.

Will online casinos be legal in Massachusetts in the future?

As of now, there are no plans to legalize online casinos in Massachusetts. 

While online sports betting, online horse race wagering and free-to-play online casino games and sweepstakes are legal, there is no legislation on the table right now to expand those offering to real-money casino games.

With nearby and neighboring states like Maine, Connecticut and Pennsylvania all offering legal online casino gaming, and the recent launch of online sports betting, perhaps there is a chance this changes in the future. 

Massachusetts legal gambling options

Even though online casino wagering is not legal, there are plenty of legal forms of gambling in Massachusetts for Bay Staters to enjoy.

Massachusetts is home to two retail casinos and one racino/slot parlor. Additionally, online sports betting and daily fantasy games are all legal. 

Betting on horse racing online is also a legal gambling option in Massachusetts. Horse bettors can make wagers on FanDuel Racing or at one of three simulcast locations at Plainridge Park Casino, Suffolk Downs and Raynham Park.

Massachusetts retail casinos

Massachusetts has two retail casinos for residents to enjoy, though there is a third, mentioned below, that is considered a slots parlor.

The Encore Boston Harbor is the biggest and is located in Everett, near Massachusetts Bay in the eastern part of the state. 

The MGM Springfield is located in Springfield, approximately 1.5 hours southwest from Encore, spreading out the casino options for Bay Staters.

Both casinos offer a large variety of table games such as craps, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and others, plus plenty of slot machines and poker rooms.

• Encore Boston Harbor, 1 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149 (857-770-7000)
• MGM Springfield, 1 MGM Way, Springfield, MA, 01103 (413-273-5000)

Massachusetts racinos

Plainridge Park was an existing track in Massachusetts that offered harness racing. In 2015, slots, electronic table games and video poker were added making it the first “casino” to open in the Commonwealth, though under Massachusetts gaming law it is technically considered a “slots parlor”. 

With live harness racing taking place from April to November, Bay Staters can find an assortment of entertainment options at this racino. 

• Plainridge Park Casino, 301 Washington Street, Plainville, MA 02762 (508-576-4500)

Massachusetts casino history

The gambling history in Massachusetts goes back to the inception of the modern state lottery in 1971 and residents are still able to participate in the Powerball, Mega Millions, jackpot draws, scratchcards and pull tabs. 

However, other lotteries were held much earlier, as early as 1719, though were repeatedly banned and then re-started several times. The last ban came in 1833, with today’s modern lottery launching in 1971 and having its first draw in 1972.

But that only focuses on casino and lottery forms of gambling, as betting on both horse and dog races has been legal since 1934. 

Things really began to get rolling once the Expanded Gaming Act was passed in 2011, which made casino gaming legal in the Bay State allowing for up to four commercial casinos to operate in the state.

Plainridge Park was already operational for harness racing and added slot machines in 2015 to become the first Massachusetts casino, though is technically considered a slots parlor.

Following that, the MGM Springfield opened in 2018 and the current largest casino in the         Commonwealth, the Encore Boston Harbor, opened in 2019.

There is still the option for one more casino to open, and it’s slated to open in Taunton and be operated by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. However, the application process has hit legal holdups as courts overturned a previous land-into-trust approval. 

While online casino gaming is still illegal in Massachusetts, social casinos are available for      Bay Staters to play casino games like poker on free-to-play sites and not for real money. 

Playing daily fantasy in Massachusetts has also been legal since 2016.

Additionally, online sports betting was legalized in August 2022 after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned in 2018. The first online sports betting apps launched on March 10, 2023. Today, Massachusetts sports bettors can bet on their favorite sports and teams from six different apps including: DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, ESPN BET and Fanatics. 

Massachusetts Casinos FAQ