- 7 Best Massachusetts Sports Betting Sites (Offshore)
- 7. SportsBetting.ag
- What led to the legalization of sports betting in Massachusetts?
- Is sports betting legal in Massachusetts?
- When will online sports betting be available?
- Legal betting options in Massachusetts
- Most popular sports to bet on in Mass
Massachusetts is now officially the latest US state to legalize sports betting, which happened on August 10th, when Gov. Charlie Baker signed the Massachusetts Sports Wagering Act into law. With this move, the legalization has been made official, and the state can now move on to implementing sports betting and making it available for users throughout this region of the country.
The legalization of sports betting did not come without effort, however, as the struggle to make it happen took place over the last four years.
We will describe this process later on and describe what the new change means for the state of sports betting in Massachusetts. In the meantime for players who are impatient below are the current best offshore sportsbooks that accept players from this state.
7 Best Massachusetts Sports Betting Sites (Offshore)
1. Bovada
The first on our list is the Bovada sportsbook and casino, which emerged in 2011. For the first five years of operation, the platform held the Kahnawake Gambling Commission’s license, but in 2016, it decided to give up on it after the Commission went through a policy change that Bovada did not approve of. For the last six years, it has operated without a license, but that still did not affect its quality or performance.
Its sportsbook offers a variety of popular payment methods, and the ability to bet on all kinds of big sports franchises, such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, NCAA football, NCAA basketball, and NHL, among others. Apart from traditional currencies, it also accepts Bitcoin, and it features mobile availability. And, if bettors ever experience an issue or need any sort of help, they can contact customer support at any time via email, phone call, or live chat.
If you wish to learn more about Bovada, we recommend reading our Bovada review. Then, if you feel like this is the platform for you, feel free to proceed to the Bovada website.
2. BetUS
The second on the list is BetUS — a well-known and highly-reputable online sports betting platform for the North American market, although the platform’s reputation has been flawless ever since its foundation in 1994. The platform, which is a casino in addition to being a sportsbook, is the holder of a Curacao Gaming Commission’s license, it is privately held, and it is highly secure and reliable.
BetUS features multiple payment levels, including Visa, Mastercard, and multiple cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, and alike. In terms of sports betting, the platform offers numerous options, including football, soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, cycling, golf, boxing, tennis, and more. Plus, players can also make in-play bets, meaning that they can bet on the games while they are happening. It is also rich with welcome bonuses, promotions, and other benefits that make it highly desirable among bettors.
For more information on BetUS, check out our in-depth review, which will tell you everything you need to know about the BetUS platform.
3. BetOnline
BetOnline is an online sportsbook that launched in 2004, and like our previous entries, it also offers a casino section with plenty of entertaining gaming titles. It is very user-friendly, starting with the fact that it offers a minimum deposit of $20, it features polite and capable customer support, and it is safe to use. It holds the Panama City license, and it features multiple secure payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, Discover card, American Express, wire transfers, and even cryptocurrencies.
For those who make a minimum deposit of $55, the platform offers a generous welcome bonus, and those who use cryptocurrencies can also benefit from a number of promotions. In addition to regular, monotonous betting, there is also proposition betting that lets users bet on questions, such as which team will be the first to make the 3-point shot, and alike, just so make it more exciting.
If you are interested in betting on the BetOnline platform, we recommend reading our BetOnline review first.
4. Xbet
Halfway down the list, we have Xbet, which is a platform known for a lot of things, from tight betting odds to excellent customer service and the ability to offer things for novices and professionals alike. Xbet offers a myriad of deposit options, fast payouts, multiple betting options, bonuses, and a lot more that makes it highly attractive to bettors all over California.
The benefits of using this platform keep popping up, but in terms of flaws, it only has 3 eSports games, at least for the time being. But, there are plenty of regular sports, like MLB; NHL, WNBA, golf, soccer, tennis, MMA, boxing, NASCAR, F1, and many more options for new and experienced bettors.
If Xbet seems like a platform you would enjoy, definitely read our in-depth review and learn everything you can about it before proceeding to register on the Xbet website.
5. BUSR
In the fifth spot, we have BUSR, which stands for Bet US Racing. This is easily the best racebook for the US, and one of the leading sportsbooks, available across the country, with the only exceptions being New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. Luckily, California is not on the list.
There are numerous betting options on the platform, apart from horse races, such as MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MMA, NCAA, betting on live baseball, and more. The platform offers multiple bonuses, including a sign-up bonus, casino bonus, cash bonus, and referral bonus. It also has great customer service available around the clock available via phone call, live chat, or email.
The BUSR website has a lot to offer, and we have listed its features and offerings in our BUSR review. So, if you are thinking of using this platform for your online betting, definitely give it a read first.
6. MyBookie
Nearing the end of the list, we have MyBookie, which is among the most trusted platforms for online gambling. Like most sportsbooks, it also offers a casino section, but both offer top-notch betting opportunities, with the sportsbook also featuring live betting options. You can bet on a variety of major international sports like basketball, football, soccer, and alike, as well as cricket, rugby, and even politics and entertainment.
MyBookie features multiple bonuses, such as a 50% sign-up bonus, a 10% cash bonus, and a 150% Casino bonus. The minimum deposit for Visa and Mastercard is somewhat elevated, sitting at $45, but if you use cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum Litecoin, or XRP, the minimum is only $20. Other than that, the platform also has 24/7 customer service available via email, live chat, and even phone calls, so you can always reach out if there is a need.
You can learn more about MyBookie from our review, and then decide if it is a website that you wish to use for your online sports betting.
7. SportsBetting.ag
The last on the list is SportsBetting.ag, which is actually a platform operated by BetOnline Group. The platform does not offer a great design, but don’t be deceived by that — it has been around for nearly two decades for a reason. It did experience financial issues in 2012, and BetOnline used this opportunity to take over. Ever since, the platform has been running smoothly, licensed by the Panama Gambling Control Board, and servicing US bettors with no issues.
It features multiple great betting opportunities, and a variety of payment methods, including crypto and fiat options alike, and it even has a casino section. In terms of available sports, there are all the popular ones, such as soccer, football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and even things like snooker, darts, and handball. A welcome bonus is also included, and so are numerous promotions for crypto users, and even a loyalty and VIP program.
For more details on SportsBetting.ag, we recommend our detailed review of the platform, which will tell you everything you need to know about the SportsBetting website.
What led to the legalization of sports betting in Massachusetts?
Of course, discussions about sports betting and attempts to create, submit, and pass bills that would legalize it have always been there, especially in the past decade, when most states started considering this issue, and a few of them started doing something about it. For Massachusetts, however, the story starts officially in 2019.
2019
This was the year when sports betting proponents declared their intention to dedicate real thought and effort to the question of sports betting in Massachusetts, and they did so by submitting multiple sports bills at once. Unfortunately, nothing came out of it, as not a single bill received any significant attention. However, the move itself started a chain of events that led the Governor to sign the bill into law on August 10th, 2022.
2020
Next year, in 2020, the House of Representatives made an attempt to work sports betting into an economic development bill. They had only two weeks to do it before the end of the formal session, and the bill actually received quite overwhelming support. However, this was only until the bill reached the Senate, which did not agree. While the House’s version had sports betting language, the Senate’s amended version did not, despite multiple attempts.
Sen. Michael Brady made a considerable effort to submit sports betting language for the Senate amendment, noting that sports betting will be discussed before the end of the year. But, the Senate was still showing too much resistance, and the session ended with the bill not progressing.
2021
Despite this, the efforts to pass sports betting continued in the following year, and it actually came back stronger than ever. At one point, there were no less than 23 different sports betting bills on file, which goes to show the extreme demand that the state was seeing.
The House eventually managed to distill its movements and create one final bill known as H3977, which passed the lower chamber, but the amendments and the Senate vote were seen as the real roadblock. Still, the bill was progressing nicely until an unexpected budget surplus disrupted its momentum, and Senate President Karen Spilka declared that sports betting will have to be on the back burner while other matters took priority. In the end, sports betting once again died in the Senate, and it was once again left for the next year.
2022
Finally, 2022 arrived, and Massachusetts lawmakers managed to reach a compromise on a bill known as H5164. The bill legalizes sports betting in the state, including in-person and online alike.
The bill finally passed the Senate on August 1st, and by August 10th, the state Governor signed it into law. Now, the state is waiting for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to formulate, approve, license, and review sportsbooks that wish to launch in Massachusetts.
There is no way of knowing when exactly sports betting might actually be enabled, but lawmakers are predicting that it will take around 5 months for it to arrive, so early 2023 is the most likely period when it can be expected.
Is sports betting legal in Massachusetts?
Yes, as of August 10th, 2022, sports betting became officially a part of Massachusetts law, which means that it is legal to engage with it from now on. The only issue is that there are still no online sportsbooks where players can do it remotely. In-person sports betting is likely to come faster, while the online version of it will require time until the regulators can find the right companies to set it up in the state.
When will online sports betting be available?
For now, the best estimates say that online sports betting might arrive in late 2022 at the very earliest. Sports betting was just legalized in August 2022, and it will take time to set up the sports betting system. That includes in-person and online versions, with the authorities now having to come up with rules, regulations, licensing, and test everything before it becomes available to the public as a state-supported system.
The very first online sports betting opportunities will likely emerge when established companies deliver them, which will likely include firms that operate country-wide, such as BetMGM, WynnBet, Barstool, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars.
Legal betting options in Massachusetts
With 2022 legalizing sports betting, both retail and online sports betting are already technically legal, even if not yet available. That doesn’t mean that you can’t engage in sports betting, of course, since there are plenty offshore casinos and/or sportsbooks that claim that citizens from the entire US can join their websites and bet as much as they want. Unfortunately, this is a legal gray area, as these platforms do not have the US license to offer such services, but they are also outside of the US jurisdiction, so neither the country nor its states can do anything about them.
As for gamblers, accessing and betting on these platforms is not technically a crime, so any legal consequences are highly unlikely. However, it is still risky because the US government cannot control these platforms, and so if they decide not to pay you your winnings or return your deposit — there is nothing they can do about it. It should be noted that platforms that are regulated and licensed elsewhere are highly unlikely to do anything of the sort since they still have reputations to uphold, and they are fully regulated and serious platforms. However, if you plan on taking this route before Massachusetts brings forth its own sports betting, make sure that the platforms you will use are indeed among the licensed ones.
Apart from sports betting, there are also online casinos and race tracks. There are two full-scale casinos — MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor — and one race track that features slots, or a so-called racino known as Planiridge Park Casino. Obviously, with the race track operational, horse racing and horse betting are both legal, and you can bet on horse racing in Massachusetts in person or online using websites such as TVG. If you choose to do it in person, however, you will have to go to Raynham Park or Suffolk Down, in addition to Plainridge Park.
Lastly, we have daily fantasy sports, with Massachusetts often calling itself the DFS capital in the United States, meaning that DFS is fully legalized and available for bettors to access at any time.
Most popular sports to bet on in Mass
Sports betting in Massachusetts has yet to officially start, but we can already make some educated guesses about the most popular sports in the state. For example, the NFL’s New England Patriots have been the bettors’ favorite for years. MLB is also a great hit, with the Boston Red Sox having extremely loyal fans. Then, there’s the NBA with Celtics, and NHL with Bruins who were both quite successful over the last several decades, and more.