Massachusetts Online Casinos
Massachusetts is the largest state in the New England region, with the capital city of Boston. You will not be disappointed with the online gambling options found in this progressive state as there are many to choose from. Land based gaming is slightly more restrictive, limited by four strategic geographic designated locations.
However, if you are getting considering getting started with online casinos, choose from highly recommended list:
Top Massachusetts Online Casinos
| CASINO | RATING | BONUS | PLAY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
Vegas Casino Online | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
| 400% up to $10,000 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 2 | 
Slots Empire | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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| 3 | 
El Royale Casino | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
| 250% up to $12,500 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 4 | 
Red Dog Casino | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
| 225% up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 5 | 
Slots.lv | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
| 200% up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
In the past few years, online casino gaming has attracted many Massachusetts local players. What makes it so popular is its convenience, safety and interactive features. The ability to enjoy the slots or play the tables with no hassles and fuss, cannot be overlooked.
For years, Massachusetts was strongly opposed to most forms of gambling but has quickly changed its tune when the benefits of land-based gambling and online casinos were far greater than any negative feelings some lawmakers seemed to have. When the Massachusetts Gaming Act expanded in the early 2010s, the gambling industry opened up a few land-based casinos that were strategically located around the state so that most players could access them.
In recent years, lawmakers have passed bills to allow locals to participate in regulated online gambling to place bets on horse races, daily fantasy sports, and enjoy games of skill online. Since the laws have expired, players still enjoy these benefits though it has become a talking point whether the Senate will revisit this law or pass a new one that will include online casino gambling as well.
Game Play
One of the fantastic aspects of online casino games, is the ability to offer unique game play that differs to land based. In choosing an online casino, factor into Game Play the game design, variety and quality. We consider game play as the core product of an online casino, and therefore we place a lot of emphasis on this factor.
Design – Designing games are not easy. A lot of thought and time is required to develop a design that players want to play at. Hence, as a player, the best design games naturally provide the best excitement. Gaming that is fun, full of action, intuitive to understand and play is what makes great game design.
Variety – Variation of gaming is extremely important. In particular for slot players who love different themes, progressive and non progressive, and money lines. An online casino that can offer good variation can allow a player to explore all the different types of gaming which is really fun in itself. All the top online casinos offer a good library of games to choose from.
Quality – A seamless and smooth game is an enjoyment that is not often fully appreciated, until it becomes a problem. Quality software development, that includes state of the art graphics, functionality that not only works, but is easy to use and interacts well with the game design provides a great gaming experience. Game quality should not be overlooked, and all the top online casinos that we recommend offer quality gaming.
Safety
There are several facets to safety that should be understood. Safety includes protecting a players personal and sensitive information. It also includes ensuring that deposits and withdrawal can be actions without losing money in transit. And finally it also means, playing with a casino that can be trusted i.e. not a scam.
Honest – An honest casino is a safe casino to play at. Honest casinos have transparent Term and Conditions, are upfront with playing and proactive with advising the player with the best intentions. Avoid casinos which do not have the player at heart, and are simply trying to “trap” a player into gaming with them. Assessing a honest casino as an individual player is difficult, because the only way to know is by playing at the casino in the first place. However, at WagerDex, we have gathered feedback from our readers and have played at the online casinos ourselves. We have therefore at the top online casinos those that we have found to be honest.
Licensed and Regulated – All online casino must be licensed and regulated. We do not recommend playing at any online casino that is NOT licensed and regulated. It goes without saying, that a licensed and regulated online casino, shows that they want to prove that they are honest and true to the industry and players, and are willing to be audited by third parties.
Internet Security – A standard for internet security is SSL – an encryption methodology that secures that connection between a players browser (or device) through to the server of the online casino. You may have noticed that sometimes a website may have a https:// start to their address rather than http:// only. The additional “s” indicates that SSL encryption is being applied, and that it is prevent interception of data flowing between Player and online casino. The best online casinos apply that advanced encryption technology to protect their players from unwanted cyber attacks.
Keep Your Information Safe – Every player who wants to gamble online with real money will have to go through a registration process to confirm their identity and process all bonuses and winnings to their personal account on the site. This is done to prevent identity theft, money laundering, and to protect player information when processing payments.
As a way to ensure player information is always secure, online casinos will use SSL encryption technology along with several other levels of security that are regularly updated to protect everyone from potential hackers. To find out what the casino does to keep its members safe, players can check out the terms and conditions of the site or contact customer support for more information.
Massachusetts Online Gambling
Did you know that in 2019, nearly $85 million was play at online games? Leading the way is sports betting sites, followed by online casinos. Surprisingly poker falls behind with wagering similar that of online bingo.
- Sports betting sites – $39.4m
- Online casinos – $34.1m
- Poker – $6.4m
- Bingo – $5.0m
- Horse and Dog Racing – $71.2 m
- Bingo and other charitable gaming – $55.8 m
In contrast, wagers for land based gambling are in the billions of dollars!
- Lottery gaming -2019 – $5.4 b
- Land based Casino gaming – $4.4 b
Is Online Gambling Legal in Massachusetts?
Currently, no law allows players from the state to participate in online gambling, though little has changed since the online gambling legislation expired in 2018. If anything, the online gambling law has become a very gray area that has essentially left players to decide on their own whether they are able to gamble online or not.
Although daily fantasy sports, race bets and games of skill are still available to anyone of legal age in Massachusetts, the draw to online casino gambling has opened up the market even more with the introduction of offshore online casinos. While it is not officially legal to gamble in an online casino, there is also nothing to stop players from placing a bet on a gambling site that is regulated overseas.
Massachusetts Offshore Casino Statistics
Massachusetts is the 5th most active state that participates in offshore online gambling at casinos as of 2020 with a gross win amount of $48.17m. Massachusetts contributes to 4.25% of all offshore casino activity in the United States for 2020.
Click here to see a breakdown of all offshore gambling activity broken down by state. The following is a breakdown of all offshore casino gambling from Massachusetts since 2003.
| Year | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Gross Win | $36.32m | $43.25m | $53.58m | $64.20m | $41.73m | $40.50m | $39.79m | $39.79m | $37.13m |
| Year | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020* |
| Gross Win | $37.65m | $36.87m | $36.48m | $35.95m | $35.00m | $34.67m | $34.39m | $34.11m | $48.17m |
*Note: Data from 2020 are currently based on estimates.
Source – H2 Gambling Capital
Offshore gambling statistics for sports betting from Massachusetts can be found here.
Overview of Massachusetts Casinos
By far the largest casino in Massachusetts is the Encore Boston Harbor. With over 3,000 slot machines and a gaming floor space of 210,000 sq feet, it is almost double the size of MGM Springfield.
| CASINO | SLOTS | TABLES | POKER | SQ FT |
| Encore Boston Harbor | 3,000 | 144 | 88 | 210,000 |
| MGM Springfield | 2,500 | 125 | 23 | 125,000 |
| Plainridge Park Casino | 1,200 | 0 | 0 | 44,000 |
Gambling Laws and Regulations
There are no specific gambling laws that prevent offshore online casinos from accepting US Players. However gambling laws in Massachusetts are broad enough to prevent online onshore casino sites.
Lottery games can only be issued by the Massachusetts State Lottery, in which the state constitution has provided the commission a monopoly on.
Within the state, commercial gambling operators can be awarded licenses to operate in which currently the Gaming Act permits a maximum of three casinos located in three different areas in the state. In addition on slot venue can also operate within specific geographical boundaries.
Legal Minimum Gambling Age
- 21 for casino gaming and sports betting
- 18 for bingo, lottery, horse and dog race betting
Taxation
Gambling activity is taxed at the following rates:
- Casino activity is taxed at 25% of gross gaming revenue.
- Slots activity is taxed at 40% of gross gaming revenue.
Neighboring States
FAQ
Players in Massachusetts can participate in games of skill, place bets on horse races, and bet on daily fantasy sports online, though the online casino regulations are a gray area. Although players in the state are prohibited in gambling through online casinos based in the state, there is nothing to stop them from gambling on offshore online casinos sites.
Since there are no official laws to prohibit gamblers in Massachusetts from placing a bet at an offshore casino, they should be aware that not all online casinos accept players from the US. For one reason or another, sites will have country restrictions which may include the US, so to be sure, players should check the site terms and conditions, or the help pages to see if US players can register on the site.
Players in the state of Massachusetts can quickly and easily place a bet on Bovada. The site is regulated offshore and legally operates under the trusted name of its parent company Bodog. Players can enjoy their gambling entertainment without the worry of breaking state or federal laws.
Currently, players who are a minimum of 18 years of age can participate in charitable gambling like bingo, pari-mutuel betting, and the lottery. Anyone wanting to gamble at a land-based or online casino will have to be a minimum of 21 years of age.
For the past several years, lawmakers have been trying to pass legislation to expand gambling in Massachusetts and even include online casino gambling. Regulators are eager to open up online gambling to the state’s population, though nothing has materialized as of yet. So far, the biggest step forward is to pass a law to allow poker games online, followed by complete online casino gaming.
