Online Casinos Massachusetts
For now, online gambling in Massachusetts is illegal. Online casinos Massachusetts are still not on the horizon, but we always hope for the best. This article will give you a detailed overview of the situation surrounding online casinos in Massachusetts by discussing state and federal laws, as well as the newest political developments.
- Massachusetts gambling law researched by experts
- Review of current Massachusetts gambling situation
- Future of online casinos Massachusetts
- 0 Legal Online Casinos
- 0 Legal Land Based Casinos
- 0 Legal Social Casinos
- 0 Legal Bingo / Lottery Games
- Responsible Gaming
- Massachusetts Gaming Commission
Massachusetts Online Casinos: Laws
Online casinos Massachusetts are still not a reality, but this might change soon. To keep yourself updated on that matter, you can check the progression of various MA bills.
According to current Massachusetts online gambling laws, online casinos are not yet legal in the state. Online gambling is in fact not regulated in the state; thus, it isn’t technically illegal. If online gambling is legalized in Massachusetts, the state would then license operators to open online casinos.
Massachusetts Gambling History
The history of gambling in Massachusetts goes back a long way. It started with the lottery, which was first introduced in the 17th century, but banned in 1719, then it was introduced again, banned again, and that until 1971 when it was re-introduced and it’s still operating. The Bay state never really prohibited other types of gambling, but the federal government did in 1919. Almost two decades later in 1934, Massachusetts legalized betting on horse and dog races.
With the ratification of the Expanded Gaming Act of 2011, up to three land-based casinos and one slot parlour were allowed to operate in the state. Tribal casinos are also allowed, according to Massachusetts law, but there are none so far. On the other hand, Massachusetts online gambling laws are simply non-existent.
The Long History of American Gambling Laws
- New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
- Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
- Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcement
- West Virginia Lottery
- Michigan Gaming Control Board
What is the Wire Act of 1961
The Wire Act of 1961 made it illegal for businesses to accept wagers from interstate or foreign betters via wire communications. This law was created to curb organized crime in the 1960’s, but it ended up negatively impacting legal businesses, and nowadays โ online gambling. Massachusetts online gambling laws, whenever they emerge, might be affected by this act.
Black Friday 2011: A Dark Day for Gambling
On April 15, 2011, PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker were charged with violating the UIGEA along with bank fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling. This resulted in the operators immediately suspending their operations in the US. This greatly affected online poker, which is now only legal in 3 states. Hopefully, future Massachusetts online casinos allow players to return to their pre-Black Friday days.
Popular Online Casino Games in the United States
Massachusetts Online Blackjack
ะขhere are currently no laws relating to online blackjack in Massachusetts. While lawmakers in the state seem to be ready to roll out online sports betting, they are more cautious with other forms of online gambling, and unfortunately, they might not legalize it soon.
In a possibly distant future, Massachusetts online casinos can begin offering Classic Blackjack. This is the most popular version of the game where players bet against the dealer and each one tries to reach 21 (or get close to it) without having cards above the value of 21. Classic Blackjack has the lowest house edge (0.5%), and we predict online blackjack in Massachusetts will be popular.
Online Roulette Massachusetts
The attitudes towards online roulette in Massachusetts matches the attitude towards other types of online gambling โ it’s confusing and the future of the online game is not yet clear. We do believe that online roulette in Massachusetts will be popular if the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything.
We predict that the most popular type of online roulette in Massachusetts will be European roulette. By contrast to its American counterpart, European roulette has one fewer pocket, and only a single zero pocket. Moreover, the house edge in European roulette is twice smaller at 2.6%, so it makes sense that American players would be “less patriotic” when choosing their online roulette game.
Online Slots in ะะ
So far there have been no Massachusetts online gambling laws concerning slot machines. As with other games, players have to rely on the offshore unregulated market to provide them with fun video slots to play.
If there were Massachusetts online casinos, we believe that one of the online slots in Massachusetts would be Sticky Sevens Megaways. This Skywind slot has a high RTP, more than 100,000 paylines, as well as creative bonus features. It can be found in some online casinos in the US.
Online Poker Massachusetts
It would take a long time for online poker to return to its former glory โ its pre-Black Friday days. Operators are cautious about offering online poker to American players, and they currently only operate in states where online gambling is legal. Massachusetts online gambling laws or even federal laws should repair the damage of Black Friday.
A popular type of online poker in Massachusetts would probably be Texas Hold’ Em. This is the most common version of poker preferred by American players, online and not. Players are dealt 2 cards, while 5 community cards are laid on the table. Each player tries to make the best overall combination.
Land Based Casinos in Massachusetts
| Plainridge Park Casino | ๐ 1250 slot machines, ๐ N/A table games |
|---|---|
| Encore Boston Harbor | ๐ 2700 slot machines, ๐ 185 table games |
| MGM Springfield | ๐ 1609 slot machines, ๐ 93 table games |
A Comparison Between Land-Based and Online Casinos
Gambling in Massachusetts is not fully developed yet, but in the case of the state legalizing all forms of it, we’d like to give you the pros and cons of land-based and online casinos in Massachusetts.
One of the biggest pros of a land-based casino is the experience of playing against players and dealer in real life. This might, however, be a con as well because they might catch your bluff. Another advantage of casinos is that they offer free refreshments and sometimes other entertainment. The best thing about playing online is that you can do it any time of the day. You can also get juicy bonuses when you play online.
What Would Happen with Online Casinos in MA
The Future of Gambling in MA
Although the state is definitely taking its time when it comes to legalization of online gambling, there are some good news for the sports fans out there. In July 2021, the Massachusetts house of representatives voted to legalize sports betting.
The arguments of the legislators made sense โ citizens of Massachusetts are already betting on sports; they just drive up to New Hampshire or they use offshore websites or apps. It doesn’t make sense for the state not to legalize sports betting, especially when your state needs the extra tax revenue during the pandemic.
Online Gambling in Massachusetts: Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions about MA Gambling
Thank you for reading our article dedicated to gambling in the state of Massachusetts and its future. We hope our article was informative, and that you have all your questions answered. Below you can find the most frequently asked questions about gambling in the Bay state:
Online Casinos and Land-Based Casinos in Other States
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming