Guide to Massachusetts Gambling Age: Casinos, Sports Betting & More

Massachusetts has a long history of introducing gambling laws, repealing them and then attempting to reintroduce them again. The state seems to have a love/hate relationship with gambling as a whole, while gambling brings in a lot of tax revenue to fund state backed charities and non-profits there forms of gambling such as sports betting and online casinos are yet to become legal.

On this page we will discuss the legal Massachusetts gambling age and how it applies to each legal form of gaming. We will also do a deep dive into each popular form of gambling and discuss its current legal standing and any upcoming legal changes that might be on the horizon.

In the table above we have outlined the legal Massachusetts gambling age for each form of gaming in the state. If there is not an age underneath the gambling form then that form of gambling is likely illegal, or still on the process to becoming legal in the state.

In the sections below we will go into more details regarding the current legality for each form of gambling. We will also discuss the history of each form of gambling in Massachusetts and any upcoming law changes that might be on the horizon for each particular form of the activity.

Casino Age in Massachusetts

Land-based casino gambling is a recent addition to the Massachusetts gambling landscape. In 2011 legislation was passed legalizing land-based casinos in the Bay State. To date there are three casinos operating within Massachusetts boarders, two of these casinos offer the full casino experience with table card games, slot machines and poker rooms, while the third is a racino that is limited to slot/electronic games.

The casino age in Massachusetts is 21, meaning that individuals must be over the age of 21 to gamble in land-based casinos. For those fans of casino classics there are two casinos that offer the opportunity to play Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Slots and Poker – basically players are spoilt for choice.

The legal Massachusetts casino age is 21 as all casinos in Massachusetts are legally allowed to serve complimentary alcoholic drinks on the game floor. As the legal drinking age in the US is also 21 it makes sense that the entry age to casinos mirrors that.

Prior to the advent of land-based casinos, residents of Massachusetts were limited to accessing casino gambling games via ‘cruises to nowhere’. Operating since 1998, these ‘cruises to nowhere’ are cruise ships that operate as floating casinos off the coast of Massachusetts in international waters thus they aren’t governed by Massachusetts state law. However, the state does not look kindly on the operators of these cruises who maintain the ability to operate through a very tenuous legality.

As Massachusetts is very new to the casino industry the economic impact hasn’t been fully realized and the state is yet to see what sort of taxes the industry can raise. Should it be that the casinos rake in large amounts of taxes for the state then we can definitely expect to see more casinos popping up in Massachusetts in the coming years.

What are The Casinos In Massachusetts that accept 18 year Olds?

There are no casinos in Massachusetts that allow entry to 18 year olds. As casino gambling is still relatively new to the state the gambling laws that govern land-based casinos are quite conservative and do not allow for casinos to allow entry to anyone below the age of 21. As discussed earlier the casino age is also likely set to 21 as this mirrors the legal drinking age in the US.

18 year olds shouldn’t be discouraged though, there are still other forms of gambling they can get involved with in Massachusetts. 18 year olds can participate in pari-mutuel betting, bingo and the state wide lottery.

For those above the age of 21 we have listed below the addresses of the three casino/racinos in Massachusetts.

Sports Betting In Massachusetts

Massachusetts is currently running behind of the times and has not yet legalized sports betting. It seems incongruous that a state such as Massachusetts who is home to three beloved sporting franchises, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and The New England Patriots has not yet legalized any form traditional sports gambling associated with it.

There have been several moves in recent years to legalize sports betting in Massachusetts. In 2018 the Massachusetts Gaming Commission released a white paper outlining how sports betting would work within the Bay State should it be legalized. Following the release of this paper several Bills were proposed to the state legislature that would legalize sports betting.

The most recent Bill to be tabled by the state legislature was in play as recently as March 2020, however discussions were stymied by the Covid-19 Pandemic and the future of the Bill and sports betting in Massachusetts remains in doubt. Residents of Massachusetts can be heartened though by the fact that there is a lot of interest at the state legislature level in legalizing sports betting, so it’s no longer a matter of if sports betting will be legalized but when.

One area of traditional sports betting that is legal in Massachusetts is pari-mutuel betting on horse races. Greyhound racing was legal up until 2008 when The Greyhound Protection Act was passed which gradually eliminated Greyhound tracks by 2010. Individuals who are 18 years and older are able to participate in pari-mutuel betting at horse racetracks and a few off-track betting locations such as the states three land-based casinos.

MA Online Gambling Age

Along with sports betting, online gambling is not yet legal in Massachusetts. As yet Massachusetts does not have any laws directly legislating internet wagering, however there is an implied illegality through the state’s interpretation of established gambling laws. As the activity is not officially legal in Massachusetts there is no legal online gambling age.

However, in general Massachusetts has recently shown itself to be agreeable to new forms of gambling. With land-based casinos being legalized in 2011 and Daily Fantasy Sports legalized in 2017, there are strong indications that Massachusetts will legalize online gambling in the near future.

Residents of Massachusetts might have access to offshore sports betting and casino websites that accept 18 year old US players. However, residents should be warned that none of these sites are registered or regulated in the US or Massachusetts and therefore players would not be covered by consumer protection laws.

Massachusetts is not an outlier in not having yet legalized online gaming, so far there are only four states in the US that have officially legalized gambling. To find out what forms of gambling are legal and what are not refer to the helpful table at the top of the page that outlines the legal gambling ages for each gaming type.

MA Poker Gambling Age

Like most other forms of online gambling in Massachusetts, online poker is not legal in the state. Poker fans looking for a fix can still play at poker rooms situated in two of the state’s casinos if they are looking for a poker fix. As all the state’s poker rooms are located in casinos, players have to be 21 years or older to gamble in one of poker rooms.

As casinos have only been recently legalized in Massachusetts it follows that there is a delay in casino games being available online. However, there have been moves within the state legislature to try to legalize additional forms of gambling, there is hope that online poker could be legalized in Massachusetts in the future.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Massachusetts is one of the few states across the US who has legalized Daily Fantasy Sports. Where in many other states the legality of Daily Fantasy Sports is up for grabs and it exists in a grey area of law, Massachusetts has taken a definite stand by legalizing it in 2016. The legal gambling age for playing Daily Fantasy Sports in Massachusetts is 21.

For many years Daily Fantasy Sports languished in undefined legality in Massachusetts, but in 2016 legislation was passed that temporarily legalized it. The temporary legislation was set to expire after two years but was then entered into permanent legislation in 2018. In an odd move there were no taxes applied to Daily Fantasy Sports winnings when the legislation passed. However, there are current discussions about adding a 12.5% tax to Daily Fantasy Sports winnings, but this is yet to make it into permanent legislation.

One of the biggest Daily Fantasy Sports operators, Draft Kings, is based in Massachusetts, which could have provided the impetus to legalize it. But Draft Kings is far from the only operator of Daily Fantasy Sports operating out of the Bay Stat, all the major operators have a presence meaning players have many to choose from.

Legal Age to Play the Lottery in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has a long history with its state-run lottery, first legalized in 1971 the lottery has become a beloved state institution. Offering many game options and paying out billions of dollars since its inception, the lottery has become a favorite of the state and residents alike.

Residents of Massachusetts need to be 18 years and older to participate in the state lottery. Once residents are old enough to play the lottery, they are able to play the myriad of games on offer including Powerball, Mega Millions and Lucky for Life.

The Lottery is managed by the state Lottery Commission, who administers the lottery and sets the policy for administration and operation. Since its establishment in 1971, the lottery has raised over $25 billion for state charities and non-profits, the commission helps to oversee the distribution of these funds.

One area where the state lottery hasn’t yet ventured is taking the lottery online. While neighboring states such as New Hampshire have had an online lottery on offer since 2017, Massachusetts is yet to diversify and offer an online lottery. However, Massachusetts does already have an app available in which players can check lottery results so it seems that the next logical step would be to enable players to purchase tickets online as well – when this will happen remains to be seen.

Massachusetts Gambling Laws & Future Outlook

Massachusetts gambling laws are set out in the state’s General Laws Criminal Laws set out in Title I, within these laws gambling is defined as ‘winning money or goods to the value of $5 or more by gaming or betting on sides or hands of those playing, in a public place or while trespassing on a private place’. It is interesting to note that there is a dollar value included within the definition of gambling, most states don’t require a dollar value instead they place a blanket ban on gambling no matter the value wagered.

Within Massachusetts state laws, gambling encompasses anything that involves winning off gaming or betting, and there is a blanket illegality placed on this. To legalize specific forms of gambling the state has passed additional legislation that allows specific forms of gambling as exceptions to the Criminal Law’s blanket illegality.

The current gambling market in Massachusetts still in a state of development, with the first casino only opening its doors in 2018 the full economic impact of legalized casino gaming is still maturing. In 2019, casinos made a $300 million footprint in the Bay State which is still minimal compared to other states and demonstrates that there is still room to grow. On the other hand the state lottery brings in a significant amount of revenue for the state and shows that there is a big appetite for gambling games.

There are state taxes applied to gambling winnings in Massachusetts, any winnings are considered personal income and therefore are subject to personal income tax each year. In addition, the state applies a 5% gambling tax if the winnings are above a particular threshold. For example, the Massachusetts Lottery Commission imposes an additional state tax of 5% on lottery winnings above the value of $600 – further to this any lottery winnings above the value of $5,000 are subject to a 25% federal tax.

As discussed above, Daily Fantasy Sports currently doesn’t have any gambling taxes applied to winnings players might obtain through playing, but this is likely to change as the state has been discussing applying a 12.5% tax to Daily Fantasy Sports winnings.

From a history of not being particularly welcoming to gambling, Massachusetts’ recent moves towards legalizing new forms of gambling means that the future is looking bright for fans of in the Bay State. With the recent establishment of casino gambling and an increased income stream through the taxes generated by allowing casino operators in the state it would follow that the state will allow for further casinos to establish themselves in Massachusetts.

Another form of gambling which Massachusetts looks set to soon legalize is sports betting. In early 2020 a new bill was tabled by the state legislature that proposes legalizing sports betting across the state. As there is a large appetite for sports betting amongst Massachusetts residents, coupled with the fact it would raise a large amount of revenue for the state through the taxes applied to it, it seems it is just a matter of when not if sports betting will be legalized in Massachusetts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully this page has provided you with enough information to give you a good oversight of the current gambling environment in Massachusetts. If you still have additional questions, take a look at the answers we have provided to some of the most frequently asked questions below. Head over to our US gambling age page to see all states in comparison.