- New Casino In Boston Massachusetts
- Online Casino Games
- List Of Casinos In Massachusetts
- Encore Casino Massachusetts
- New Casino In Massachusetts 2019
It doesn't address gambling directly, but rather the transfer of funds from credit cards and bank accounts to online casinos. An often-cited case that discusses the collection of a credit card debt for a cash advance by a Massachusetts resident to be used for gambling in Atlantic City, under a credit card contract generally governed.
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Last Updated January 2, 2020
Massachusetts has played host to some of the biggest poker tournaments and cash games in the world – some legal, some probably a little less so given the state’s colorful history. Some of the biggest games of all, however, almost certainly took place in a bedroom, possibly a living room or home office – thanks to the innovation of online poker.
All of the major US-friendly poker sites accept players from the state of Massachusetts. If you want to play online poker in Massachusetts, we suggest you read the reviews on the linked page to find out which poker site is the right one for you.
The rest of this page discusses how people in Massachusetts play online poker, what Massachusetts law has to say about playing poker online and where it fits in with the state’s approach to gambling at large.
Hi lo omaha poker. Full Tilt Poker has the best Omaha hi/lo 8b games, with a combination of good player population and lots of big name pros to watch at $1000/$2000 limits and higher. Absolute Poker has fewer players, but their Omaha hi/lo 8b pot limit games are very loose at the lower levels. Qualifying Low hands. In Omaha hi/lo, the pot can be a split pot if there is a qualifying low hand. To qualify as a low hand, the player must. With Omaha Hi-lo, half the pot goes to the player with the highest hand, and the other half to the player with the lowest hand – if there is one, which we’ll explain in a moment. Omaha Hi-Lo Rules. When Omaha Hi-lo poker first came out, and for decades before that, the most popular game in California card rooms was lowball poker. As the name suggests, Omaha hi-lo is a 'split-pot' version of Omaha poker in which players compete for both the 'high' and 'low' halves of the pot. Omaha hi-lo is usually played with fixed-limit.
Most Recent Online Poker Happenings in Massachusetts
Going into 2019, Massachusetts remained one of the most likely states to legalize online gambling, but it did not happen. There was a bill proposed by Massachusetts Rep. Bradford Hill in January 2019 to regulate online gaming, daily fantasy sports, and sports betting, but it made no progress.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has been conducting in-depth research on all types of potential gambling expansion projects for the state over the past several years. Everything from economic and social impact to risks for specific groups of people, like military veterans. The eventual result of these studies could be comprehensive online gambling legislation.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts struggles with its land-based properties. MGM Springfield has underperformed since its opening in August 2018, and Encore Boston Harbor has suffered under the Wynn name and continuing legal troubles with the former CEO.
While online poker and casino games could provide additional revenue for the land-based casinos in the state – as has been proven helpful in New Jersey – lawmakers are awaiting the results of more studies before pursuing serious proposals to legalize those games.
To be fair, Massachusetts is giving the same serious consideration to sports betting. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is doing everything possible to expand gambling for the benefit of the state and without causing harm.
Massachusetts remains a likely state to consider online gambling again in 2020.
| Type/Code | Summary |
|---|---|
| State Code Section(s) | II.10.37-40; II.23K; XX.137; IV.271 |
| Definitions | Gambling: The playing of a game by a patron of a gaming establishment. Game: A banking or percentage game played with cards, dice, tiles, dominoes or an electronic, electrical or mechanical device or machine played for money, property, checks, credit or any other representative of value which has been approved by the commission. Gaming: Dealing, operating, carrying on, conducting, maintaining or exposing any game for pay. Gaming device: An electronic, electrical or mechanical contrivance or machine used in connection with gaming or a game. |
| Online Poker/Gambling | Several lawmakers and members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission support online poker and casino games. Bills in the past have not seen votes, but a 2018 omnibus gambling expansion bill may be considered this year or in 2019. |
| Live Poker | There are no live poker rooms but will be once the casinos are opened. |
| Casinos | There are no casinos in Massachusetts, but Native American tribes have been battling in court over their rights to open casinos. The Expanded Gaming Act of 2011 authorized three full-fledged casinos and one slot parlor, all of which are in process. |
| Sports Betting | A bill is under consideration in Massachusetts to legalize sports betting, and it is currently combined with online poker and casino games in a comprehensive bill to expand gambling. |
| DFS | A 2017 law legalized daily fantasy sports, but the legislature must pass a new bill to extend regulations beyond the trial period that ends in 2018. |
| Other Forms of Gambling | Horse and dog racing, on-track pari-mutuel betting, charitable gambling, lottery. |
Is Online Poker Legal in Massachusetts?
How does the law in Massachusetts treat poker players? Are players in violation of state law? Is it illegal to play online poker in Massachusetts? Some of the laws on the books in Massachusetts that pertain to gambling were authored well before the Internet was even a concept, so applying those laws to new technology can be a tricky endeavor.
The full text of Massachusetts law is linked below. We’ve excerpted and summarized some of the key points for online poker players in Massachusetts:
The term “lottery” means something different in Massachusetts law than in common useage. Basically, “lottery” is somewhat akin to what other state laws call “gambling.”
Massachusetts law uses the term “gaming” and not “gambling” in much (although not all) of the law. The definition of “gaming” is found in Chapter 4, Section 7: ““Gaming”, “illegal gaming” or “unlawful gaming” shall include every act punishable under any law relative to lotteries, policy lotteries or policy, the buying and selling of pools or registering of bets.” Note that the definition essentially treats “gaming” and “illegal gaming” as the same thing – all gaming is illegal unless otherwise specified.
There are a number of individual charges related both to participating in illegal gambling and operating illegal gambling. Gambling in a “public” place is illegal (Chapter 271, Section 2) as is keeping a gambling device and using a gambling device.
The law of Massachusetts doesn’t address Internet poker directly, but using a telephone “for gaming purposes” is illegal.
“Whoever uses a telephone […] for the purpose of accepting wagers or bets, or buying or selling of pools, or for placing all or any portion of a wager with another, upon the result of a trial or contest of skill, speed, or endurance of man, beast, bird, or machine, or upon the result of an athletic game or contest … shall be punished by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year” (Chapter 271, Section 17A)
There are substantial penalties in store for individuals who operate an illegal gambling business of a certain size in Massachusetts. The charge of “organizing or promoting gambling facilities or services” (Chapter 271, Section 16A) can bring up to 15 years in state prison.
With stakes so high, players must seek out a qualified legal opinion before engaging in unregulated gambling activity. This page is not a substitute for such an opinion – it’s only intended to help you gain a basic understanding of Massachusetts gambling law.
Will Massachusetts Regulate Online Poker in 2020?
Eventually, Massachusetts will regulate online poker and casino games.
Massachusetts is very close to other East Coast states that offer online gambling or are preparing to launch sites to do so. In addition, the topic has been on the mind of legislators for years and the subject of closed-door discussions behind the scenes.
New Casino In Boston Massachusetts
With studies likely showing the benefits of online gaming and the need to supplement land-based casino revenue, the next session or two in the Massachusetts legislature may finally show the results. A solid bill is likely in the coming years.
Massachusetts Gambling Facts
While gambling played a role in many of the early colonies, perhaps nowhere was the influence of bets and wagers more pronounced than Massachusetts. According to Gov. Deval Patrick , his dorm at Harvard was paid for by a lottery, as was local landmark Faneuil Hall. While the gambling roots run deep, there have also been long stretches of time during which no regulated gambling was available to residents. Today, gambling has resumed its place of prominence in the state, contributing hundreds of millions in revenue, wages and economic activity.
Famous Massachusetts Poker Players
As is the case with many poker players, many of Massachusetts’ finest cut their teeth in the game by playing online poker. But easy access to casinos on the East Coast also gave many the opportunity to play against a variety of opponents.
Daniel Colman is the Massachusetts native with the most live poker winnings to date, as he holds steady at $28.9 million. He is best known for taking most of the poker world by surprise when he won the 2014 WSOP Big One for One Drop, a $1 million buy-in tournament that awarded $15.3 million to the winner. He continued to play but remained a mystery to many fans, only to drop off the poker radar after 2017.
Dan Harrington is one of the most prolific poker pros in the business, not only garnering $6.6 million in live winnings but writing some of the preeminent books about poker. Harrington on Hold’em is a classic.
Even players who aren’t listed in the top ten owe a lot of their successes to online poker, like Ben Sulsky and Ronnie Bardah.
As of 2020, the star-studded list of top Massachusetts money earners in poker were:
1. Daniel Colman ($28.9 million)
2. Nick Petrangelo ($17.3 million)
3. Anthony Zinno ($9.7 million)
4. Jesse James Sylvia ($7.4 million)
5. Dan Harrington ($6.6 million)
6. Brian Altman ($3.7 million)
7. Curt Kohlberg ($3.3 million)
8. Jonathan Jaffe ($3.3 million)
9. Jesse Martin ($3.2 million)
10. David Paredes ($2.5 million)
Regulated Gambling Options in MA
Penny slot machines free slots. Regulated gambling activities in MA run the gamut, from the state lottery to the multiple casinos (both commercial and tribal) that are spread across the state’s map. On top of those options, you also can engage in charitable gambling (when properly licensed) and pari-mutuel wagering year-round in Massachusetts.
What About Online Gambling?
Not yet, but all signs point to the state introducing some legal regulated online gambling options in the near future. We believe the lottery will likely come online first, but online poker could follow close behind. That is, for the moment, all hypothetical – as of this article, Massachusetts doesn’t have any online gambling regulated or licensed directly by the state.
All Poker and Gambling Laws by State
Every four years in the United States, its citizens vote for a president. One might think that citizens would then be faced with campaign advertisements for a few months – maybe a year – before the election. But since there is no limit to the amount of time a person
Read Full- December 28th, 2018
Last year, the attempt to predict which states might join the ranks of those with legalized online poker was not very successful. In fact, only one state actually passed such legislation in 2018, but at the very last minute, on December 28, that state’s governor vetoed the bill. Oh, Michigan!
Read Full - September 28th, 2018
Online poker and gaming were never a certainty for Massachusetts, but there have been numerous signs in the past couple years indicating that lawmakers were working toward the legalization of online games. Several members of the state legislature have supported studies and bills, but there was one driving force behind
Read Full As the year progresses, it looks more and more like Massachusetts has a strong chance of legalizing online poker and other casino games in 2019. It could be sooner if a pending study is completed with favorable results, but considering the lateness of the legislative year and the upcoming November
Read Full
Sources & Citations For This Article on Massachusetts Online Poker
Introduction to Massachusetts Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2018
Massachusetts slot machine casino gambling consists of the MGM Springfield, a slot parlor in Plainridge, and a cruise ship sailing to international destinations.
Massachusetts has set a legal minimum payout return for slot machines. No actual payout returns are made publicly available.
This post continues the weekly series Online Resource: A State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambling enthusiasts to success. Each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or the federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Massachusetts*
The minimum legal gambling age in Massachusetts depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 21
- Poker Rooms: 21
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
In late 2011, the Governor approved a bill allowing three land-based casino resort gaming licenses to be located in three gaming regions of Massachusetts:
- Eastern Region A: This license went to MGM, who constructed a casino in downtown Springfield. It opened on August 24, 2018.
- Western Region B: This license went to Wynn Resorts, who is constructing Encore Boston Harbor in Everett. It is planning to open in the summer of 2019.
- Southeastern Region C: This license has not yet been awarded
Massachusetts gaming regulations define Category 1 and Category 2 casinos as follows:
- Category 1 casino:
- Pay a daily tax of 25% of gross gaming revenue
- Appropriate documentation of infrastructure improvements onsite and around the vicinity of the gaming establishment
- Category 2 casino:
- Pay a daily tax of 40% of gross gaming revenue
- Pay an additional daily assessment of 9% of its gross gaming revenue
- Appropriate documentation of infrastructure improvements
- Limited to 1,500 gaming positions
Massachusetts law, Section 97 of Chapter 194, includes a research initiative. This section is a legal requirement to collect customer tracking data from:
- Loyalty programs
- Player tracking software
- Player card systems
- Online gambling transactions or any other information system
Interestingly, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has engaged a nonprofit research group to make this player data anonymous by removing personally identifying information such as player name, address, and bank or credit information.
Further, the gaming manufacturers also have their data removed to protect corporate intellectual property. This includes game identifying information such as device game name and the name of its manufacturer.
Gameplay data kept includes player characteristics. The law is clear that Massachusetts is not legally limited to collecting only the following:
- Frequency, length, speed, and the denomination of play
- Amounts wagered including the number of lines and hands played
- Reel configuration, return-to-player (RTP), the volatility index, and denomination
This anonymized behavioral data will be sent to a research facility to conduct analyses to improve the understanding of how gambling addiction grows and changes, help develop strategies to minimize harm to players and to develop systems to monitor, detect, and intervene in high-risk gambling situations in an ongoing manner.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws apply to various forms of gambling. This information is not intended to provide legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Massachusetts
It is legal to privately own a slot machine in Massachusetts if it is 30 years old or older.
Gaming Control Board in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission, also know on their website as Mass Gaming, was signed into law on November 22, 2011, by Governor Deval Patrick via the Expanded Gaming Act.
Mass Gaming has an extensive Frequently Asked Questions section useful to players, but also those wishing to be approved by the state to work or have a career, in the Massachusetts gaming industry.
Casinos in Massachusetts
There is currently one non-tribal casino, zero American Indian tribal casinos, one non-tribal racino, and one cruise ship based in Massachusetts.
The largest casino in Massachusetts is MGM Springfield having 2,500 gaming machines and 125 table games.
The second largest is currently the only other casino in Massachusetts, Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville having over 1,200 gaming machines and electronic table games.
Once it opens, Encore Boston Harbor will be the largest casino in Massachusetts. If the tribal casino ever opens, Project First Light Resort & Casino will be its second largest casino.
List of Casinos in Massachusetts
There are currently two open casinos in Massachusetts offering slot machines plus a planned casino:
- Encore Boston Harbor is a planned casino expected to open in the summer of 2019. It is located 5 miles north of downtown Boston.
- MGM Springfield located 92 miles west of Boston and 26 miles north of Hartford, Connecticut a few miles from the Connecticut border.
- Plainridge Park Casino located 36 miles southwest of Boston and 22 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Island near the border to Rhode Island.
The cruise ship out of the Port of Boston is NCL Dawn from Norwegian Cruise Lines, where international gambling is allowed, with 199 slot machines.
List of Tribal Casinos in Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe have signed a tribal-state gaming compact governing tribal gaming in Southeastern Massachusetts, which includes Bristol, Plymouth, Nantucket, Dukes, and Barnstable counties. This compact was approved, as required, by the U.S. Department of Interior.
The First Light Resort & Casino by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has been planned for Taunton. However, progress on this tribal casino resort has been the subject of lawsuits. Construction has been on hold since mid-2016. It is uncertain whether the casino will ever be completed.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Massachusetts slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state.
Massachusetts is bordered by:
- North: New Hampshire Slots and Vermont Slots
- East: Atlantic Ocean
- South: Connecticut Slots and Rhode Island Slots
- West: New York Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my state-specific blog for that bordering state to Massachusetts.
Payout Returns in Massachusetts
Massachusetts law has set a minimum payout return percentage of 80% for gaming machines, established through modification of LLC Standard GLI-11: Gaming Devices from Gaming Laboratories International.
This minimum limit is calculated to include:
- Acquisition cost of complimentary merchandise
- The value of promotional gaming credit
Monthly revenue reports from Mass Gaming provide actual payout returns for each of Massachusetts’ open casinos. These reports are currently available for MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino.
The MGM Springfield revenue report shows a November 2018 payout return of 92.10%. The payout return for this casino has increased month-over-month since the casino opened in August 2018, starting from a slot payout of 89.88%.
The Plainridge Park Casino revenue report shows a November 2018 payout return of 92.20%, the highest slots payout percentage for this casino since November 2016, two years earlier.
Our Massachusetts Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Massachusetts? If so, join our new Massachusetts slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to freely join this closed Facebook Group.
List Of Casinos In Massachusetts
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in or near Massachusetts. Come join us!
Summary of Massachusetts Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2018
Massachusetts slot machine casino gambling consists of one casino resort, a slot parlor, and an international cruise ship. MGM Springfield opened in August 2018, with Encore Boston Harbor planned for mid-2019.
Encore Casino Massachusetts
The minimum limit for slot machine payout return is 80%. Monthly actual payout return statistics are publicly available for each of the open casinos in Massachusetts.
Annual Progress in Massachusetts Slot Machine Casino Gambling
New Casino In Massachusetts 2019
In the last year, the MGM Springfield in downtown Springfield opened in southern Massachusetts near the Connecticut border.
Archive: Massachusetts Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2017
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Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC