Best Sportsbooks and Betting Apps in Massachusetts November 2026
Online sports betting has been legal in Massachusetts since March 2023, and seven mobile sportsbooks hold a license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Every brand below is on the regulator's list, and this page covers the state rules that matter before you bet, from college games to credit cards.
7 licensed sportsbooks
Massachusetts Gaming Commission
21+
Live since March 2023
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Licensed sportsbooks in Massachusetts: November 2026
Ranked by our research score. Every brand here is licensed by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission; you must be physically in Massachusetts to bet.
theScore Bet review: PENN-owned sportsbook regulated in Ontario, Alberta and licensed US states, with streaming, parlays and a first-bet bonus offer.
Backed by PENN Entertainment
Regulated in Ontario, Alberta and 20 US states
Streaming for funded accounts, subject to blackouts
Casino only in Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the US
App reviews mention withdrawal delays and verification
Operator
PENN Entertainment
Licensee
Penn Sports Interactive, LLC (branded as theScore Bet)
Offer terms: 21+. First cash wager on any market; if it loses, you get the stake back up to $1,000 as five Bonus Bets, each worth 20% of the stake. Bonus Bets are credited within 72 hours and must be used within 7 days. Cashed-out or voided wagers and wagers not funded from the cash wallet do not count. Full T&Cs | Please gamble responsibly
Bally Bet review: a state-licensed US sportsbook, also registered in Ontario and Alberta. State availability, offer terms and safer gambling explained.
DraftKings is a licensed US and Canadian sportsbook and casino with same-game parlays and live betting. See state and province availability and key facts.
Sportsbook live in 27 US states, plus Ontario and Alberta
Same-game parlays and live betting listed in its app
Licensed state by state through separate state-level entities
Casino is limited to five US states: CT, MI, NJ, PA and WV
Welcome offers differ by state and expire quickly
Operator
DraftKings Inc.
Licensee
Crown [State] Gaming LLC entities (e.g. Crown NC Gaming, LLC; Crown IA Gaming LLC; Crown Ohio Gaming, LLC; Crown KY Gaming LLC), all d/b/a DraftKings
Caesars Sportsbook is licensed across 23 US states plus Ontario and Alberta. Read about its history, Caesars Rewards link, offer and safer gambling tools.
Sportsbook licensed in 23 US states
Bets earn Caesars Rewards benefits
Regulated in Ontario and Alberta
US casino sits under a separate Caesars Palace brand
Welcome boosts have a 14-day use window
Licensee
American Wagering, Inc. (d/b/a Caesars Sportsbook)
Online sports betting is legal in Massachusetts for adults 21 and over who are physically in the state.
Seven mobile sportsbooks hold a Category 3 license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
You can bet on Massachusetts college teams only in tournaments, and college player props are banned.
Sportsbooks cannot accept bets funded by a credit card.
Massachusetts withholds 5% state tax on sports betting wins of $600 or more.
How online sports betting works in Massachusetts
Governor Charlie Baker signed H.5164, An Act regulating sports wagering, on August 10, 2022. The law (Chapter 173 of the Acts of 2022, now M.G.L. chapter 23N) allows betting on professional and most college sports at casinos, slots parlors, simulcast centers and through mobile apps. Retail sportsbooks opened on January 31, 2023, and mobile betting followed on March 10, 2023.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) licenses and oversees every operator. Category 1 licenses cover the retail sportsbooks at Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino. Category 3 licenses cover mobile and online sportsbooks. As of the MGC’s September 2026 report, seven Category 3 brands were live: Bally Bet, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel and theScore Bet. theScore Bet replaced ESPN BET on December 1, 2025, when Penn Sports Interactive rebranded its app, so an existing ESPN BET account now sits under the new name.
It is a big market for a state of its size. In fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025), bettors wagered $7.9 billion, sportsbooks kept $754.9 million in gross gaming revenue, and the state counted 1,830,526 active accounts. Press reports citing MGC monthly data put November 2025 handle at $914.7 million, a monthly record at the time.
You must be 21 or older and physically inside Massachusetts to place a real-money bet. The apps check your location before each wager, so a VPN or a trip across the state line will block your bets.
College betting
Massachusetts has some of the tightest college rules in the country. You cannot bet on a Massachusetts college team in a regular-season game. Bets on those teams are allowed only once the team is in a collegiate tournament, such as the Beanpot.
Out-of-state college teams can be bet on in the regular season, and college tournaments held in Massachusetts are also open. Player props on individual college athletes and college award markets such as the Heisman Trophy are not offered at all.
The MGC enforces this. It fined Encore Boston Harbor $10,000 for taking bets on the February 2, 2023 Boston College v. Notre Dame women’s basketball game.
Approved markets only
Sportsbooks can only offer events and bet types on the MGC’s approved catalog, and the commission decides on new markets one by one. In February 2025, for example, it approved Super Bowl coin-toss props. If a market you see in another state is missing here, that is usually why.
Regulators have also looked at how sportsbooks treat winning bettors. Since June 1, 2026, MGC rules require sportsbooks to tell you within 48 hours when they limit your account and to give a specific reason, not boilerplate wording.
Taxes on Massachusetts sports betting
Mobile sportsbooks pay 20% of their taxable sports wagering revenue, and retail sportsbooks pay 15%. The money is split five ways: 45% to the General Fund, 27.5% to the Gaming Local Aid Fund, 17.5% to the Workforce Investment Trust Fund, 9% to the Public Health Trust Fund and 1% to the Youth Development and Achievement Fund. In FY2025 that came to $150.7 million in tax revenue.
Your winnings are taxed too. Massachusetts withholds 5% state income tax on gambling wins of $600 or more, including sports bets, and the sportsbook may issue a federal Form W-2G for larger wins (see IRS Topic 419). Winnings can also be intercepted for Department of Revenue tax debts and child-support arrears: in FY2025 those intercepts came to $204.4K, of which $131.3K was tax and $73.1K child support.
Safer gambling in Massachusetts
Every licensed app has play-management tools, and Massachusetts bettors use them. According to the MGC’s FY2025 report, more than 1.1 million patrons used play-management tools: roughly 829,700 set limits and 293,400 used a cool-off.
For a longer break, the Voluntary Self-Exclusion (VSE) Program covers casino gaming, sports wagering and iLottery, and you can enroll in one or more. Sports wagering self-exclusion bars you from the retail sportsbooks and from every Massachusetts-licensed betting app.
Terms: 1, 3 or 5 years. Lifetime is available only after you complete a shorter term.
Ending it: exclusion does not expire on its own. You need a reinstatement session to be removed.
How to enroll: walk in to a PlayWell Info Center at Plainridge Park, MGM Springfield or Encore Boston Harbor with government photo ID, book an appointment at the MGC office in Boston, call the Safer Gaming Education Line at 1-800-426-1234, or enroll remotely by email and video.
Contact: the MGC at 617-533-9737 or [email protected] for appointments and questions.
In FY2025, 88 people self-excluded from sports wagering only and 370 from sports wagering and casino gaming.
The 24-hour Safer Gaming Education Line is 1-800-426-1234, and PlayWell (playwell.org) runs live chat around the clock. Read more on our responsible gambling page and in our guide to responsible gambling tools.
What could change
Two open issues could affect the market, and neither is settled.
The Bettor Health Act. Sen. John Keenan’s bill, S.302, would raise the online sports betting tax from 20% to 51%, ban prop bets and live in-play betting, and ban sports betting ads during televised games. The Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies advanced it 5-0 in March 2026 and sent it to Senate Ways and Means. There is no record of a Senate vote, House leaders have not signaled support, and it is not law.
Prediction markets. In January 2026 a Suffolk Superior Court judge granted Attorney General Andrea Campbell a preliminary injunction barring Kalshi from offering sports event contracts in Massachusetts without a state gaming license, finding they count as sports wagering under state law. In February 2026 an Appeals Court justice stayed that order pending an expedited appeal. The Supreme Judicial Court took the case directly and heard argument in May 2026, and as of early November 2026 no decision had been issued. Kalshi is not an MGC-licensed sportsbook, so none of the state’s betting protections described above apply to it. For the national legal fight, see our coverage of the Kalshi case.
Frequently asked questions
Is online sports betting legal in Massachusetts?
Yes. Governor Charlie Baker signed the sports wagering law on August 10, 2022, and mobile betting launched on March 10, 2023. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission licenses every operator.
Which sportsbooks are legal in Massachusetts?
As of the MGC's September 2026 report, seven mobile sportsbooks hold Category 3 licenses: Bally Bet, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel and theScore Bet. Retail sportsbooks operate at Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino.
What is the legal betting age in Massachusetts?
You must be 21 or older. You also need to be physically inside Massachusetts when you place a real-money bet, and the apps check your location.
Can you bet on Boston College or other Massachusetts college teams?
Only in a collegiate tournament, such as the Beanpot or a postseason event. Regular-season bets on Massachusetts college teams are not allowed, and the MGC fined Encore $10,000 for taking bets on the February 2, 2023 Boston College v. Notre Dame women's basketball game. College player props and awards such as the Heisman Trophy are excluded for all teams.
Can I use a credit card to deposit at a Massachusetts sportsbook?
No. State law bars sportsbooks from accepting bets funded directly or indirectly by a credit card. The MGC fined DraftKings $450,000 in July 2025 for breaking this rule.
Do I have to pay Massachusetts tax on sports betting winnings?
Yes. Massachusetts withholds 5% state income tax on gambling winnings of $600 or more, and the sportsbook may issue a federal Form W-2G for larger wins. Winnings can also be intercepted for past-due state tax debts and child-support arrears. Speak to a tax adviser about your own return.
How do I self-exclude from sports betting in Massachusetts?
Enroll in the Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program in person at a PlayWell Info Center at Plainridge Park, MGM Springfield or Encore Boston Harbor, by appointment at the MGC office in Boston, by calling the Safer Gaming Education Line at 1-800-426-1234, or remotely by email and video. Terms are 1, 3 or 5 years, or lifetime after a shorter term, and exclusion does not end automatically. For appointments and questions, call the MGC at 617-533-9737 or email [email protected].
Is Kalshi legal in Massachusetts?
It is being decided in court. In January 2026 a Suffolk Superior Court judge granted the Attorney General a preliminary injunction barring Kalshi's sports contracts without a state license, finding they count as sports wagering. An Appeals Court justice stayed the order in February 2026 while Kalshi appeals. The Supreme Judicial Court heard argument in May 2026, and as of early November 2026 no decision had been issued.
Daniel Ward founded BettingSeeker and is responsible for everything published on it. He has spent his career in SEO and content for online betting and casino comparison sites, and today leads SEO for a portfolio of gambling comparison sites across several countries.
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