Legal In-Person Sports Gambling Arrives In MA: How To Place A Bet

EVERETT, MA — For the first time in Massachusetts history on Tuesday, sports betting will go from the bookmaking shadows, offshore websites and trips over the state border to a legal transaction when three in-person locations open for wagering five months after sports gambling became legal in the Commonwealth.

The Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, MGM Casino in Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville will take their "first bets" at 10 a.m. after a half-decade process of stops, starts, and debate over legalizing it in the state and months of implementation from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

The MGC voted last month to target this week — giving the three casinos more than a week of lead time ramping up to the expected grand opening of legal gambling that will be Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 12 — for in-person sports gambling.

Mobile sports gambling is expected to begin around mid-March ahead of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The MGC determined in December that in-person gambling could be more quickly implemented because the three casinos had already passed all state regulatory tests to operate in the first place.

Six mobile sports betting operators were approved for "preliminary suitability" to operate legal sports betting websites in the state at the MGC's Jan. 17 meeting.

A third tier of gambling will also be allowed at locations "tethered" to horse and dog tracks, including the former Suffolk Downs location in East Boston and the former Raynham Greyhound Track, though neither location has operated as a live racing venue for years and greyhound racing became illegal in Massachusetts in 2009.

At Encore Boston Harbor, the WynnBET Sportsbook will have 10 live-betting windows and more than 100 betting kiosks across the casino. Encore said the majority of its kiosks will be open 24 hours a day and will include the Express Sportsbook drive-thru locations in the parking garage that will feature 15-minute parking and 20 kiosks.

"We've created a thoughtfully-designed sports betting experience for our guests at Encore Boston Harbor," said Ian Williams, president of Wynn Interactive. "Whether you're placing your first sports bet ever, or you're a seasoned sports bettor, we've thought through how we can make your visit as easy and enjoyable as possible."

While Boston has no major professional sports teams playing on legal gambling's opening day, the Boston Celtics will host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night, while the Boston Bruins will play at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Betting on college sports is allowed under state law. However, betting on Massachusetts colleges and universities is restricted to postseason tournaments and football bowl games. Thus, bets will not be taken on the Boston College men's basketball team's game against No. 24-ranked Clemson on Tuesday night but will be taken if the teams have a rematch in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Residents 21 years old or older will be able to bet on a wide range of sports, including Australian rules football, badminton, billiards, bowling, bull riding, darts, rowing, rugby and water polo. Betting on high school and youth sports is not permitted under state law.

Bets can also be made on "special events" such as the upcoming Academy Awards or the Coney Island Fourth of July Hot Dog-eating Contest.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)