Online Poker Ma
Massachusetts Online Poker Massachusetts is the most populated state in the New England region and for many residents, poker is the game of choice for gambling entertainment. Online poker sites. Online poker is currently not regulated in the state of Massachusetts and as such you won’t be able to find and play on any local card rooms online. While online play is still possible through off shore poker.
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Last Updated January 6, 2021
Online Poker Magyaroknak
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.
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 2021.
| 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 2021?
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.
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 2021, 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
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
Massachusetts’ approximately 6.65 million inhabitants are among the most prideful citizens of any state in the nation, but when it comes to real money poker and legal gambling MA citizens haven’t got the widest range of betting options.
Home to the Boston Red Sox, the world-renowned educational institution Harvard University and the gorgeous Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts is an epicenter of culture, life and all things American, but definitely not a legit lawful poker or gambling establishment. Yet the one staple of modern American culture that is decidedly absent from The Bay State is the presence of a casino or real cash poker gambling room.
The betting and real money poker scene is about to change though. Over the course of the past two years, Massachusetts has loosened its stance on betting and gambling, so much so, that the prospect of online gambling and Internet poker coming to MA has become a real possibility. That’s great news for the real cash poker betting fans who’ve been stuck with very few legit gambling options up until now.
And although MA state gambling officials will likely finalize the state’s land-based casino and real money poker room plans before further entertaining the idea of regulated real cash Internet poker iGaming betting, Massachusetts stands a better chance than most of being one of the first ten states to open its doors to the virtual felt and provide real money poker websites for MA residents.
Online Poker Massachusetts
Those of you in The Bay State have it pretty easy going when it comes to gambling. Massachusetts punters will have no problem signing up for a real money US poker site account.
A Busy Two Years in Massachusetts Gambling History
Quick Jump
- 5 The Facts
H. 3807 was penned into state law in late-November 2011[1]. It allows the construction of up to three land-based casino resorts with real money poker rooms and one slots parlor. Since then, 11 Indian tribes and major gambling companies submitted proposals to have their brands associated with one of Massachusetts new casinos and poker gambling card rooms.
Of those interested in running real money poker and casino operations in MA, Mohegan Sun and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe have proven to be the frontrunners [2]. The two tribes, both of whom operate large real cash betting casinos in Connecticut, have upped their annual commitment to the citizens of Massachusetts, leading to Mohegan being unanimously approved by the people of Palmer Town to construct a $1 billion legal poker and casino resort within the town’s limits. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe will be up for a gambling and betting related referendum vote as early as November 2013.
Things have been equally busy on the Internet gambling and poker website legislation front. MA State rep. Dan Winslow made an ill-fated attempt to attach online gambling legislation relating to lawful real money Internet poker to H. 3807. Shortly thereafter, he tried to amend similar Internet gambling legislation to a 2012 budget bill. Once again, his efforts to bring MA poker fans legal poker websites to play at for real cash failed. Months later, a second attempt to amend an online gambling and Internet poker clause to a budget bill was met with similar results.
In 2013, MA State Senator Minority Leader Bruce Tarr introduced S. 1826, an amendment to a transportation bill that would permit state officials to provide iGaming lawful Internet poker licenses to online gambling providers. Tarr’s amendment would ultimately be rejected in July 2013 [3].
Experts in the poker website industry have indicated that the time for online gambling and real money poker betting legislation in Massachusetts isn’t ripe yet, but that after ground is broken on its land-based casinos and real cash poker offerings, it will be.
Another factor possibly holding Massachusetts legislators back is New Jersey. Until the Garden State can prove to its closest neighbors that online gambling and Internet poker is a viable real money-making machine, most New England and Mid-Atlantic states, including MA, will probably hold off on passing legislation on legal poker websites of their own.
Latest Massachusetts Poker News
Sheldon Adelson will be courted once again by prominent 2016 GOP presidential candidates during next month's Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) Spring Leadership Meeting.…
Despite losing the support of the American Gaming Association (AGA), Massachusetts plans to continue moving forward with its Internet gambling study.…
With three land-based casino licenses yet to be awarded, Massachusetts will likely hold off on further consideration of online gambling legislation.…
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will be awarding casino licenses this year, which has renewed talk that gambling expansion may include the Internet.…
Lawmakers in Massachusetts have introduced a proposal calling for online poker to be legalized in the Bay State.…
Can Players from Massachusetts Play Online Poker?
Although there is no official law regulating Internet gaming and real cash poker websites in Massachusetts, that doesn’t mean its residents still can’t sit around in their pyjamas playing online poker at top Internet poker websites – quite the contrary. If anything, US-facing real money gambling online poker websites are more than willing to accept players from The Bay State. Take a look at our list of online poker real money website options for real cash players in MA looking for legit Internet poker websites to play at to find out which poker betting websites accept players from Massachusetts.
Is Online Poker Legal in Massachusetts?
The Internet poker gambling and real money betting statutes of most states including MA haven’t been updated since before the inception of the Internet, let alone include statues specific to online poker and playing Internet poker. Therefore, many state laws regarding iGaming poker websites are up to interpretation, with Massachusetts gambling and legal betting laws proving no exception.
With that said, there is nothing in Massachusetts gambling or poker betting statues that explicitly states online gambling and playing Internet poker for real money is illegal. But before you start celebrating and throwing your real cash poker chips in the air, it is advisable that you seek the legal consul of a professional who knows about the lawful Internet poker scene in MA.
In the meantime, we’ve dissected facets of several Massachusetts gambling and poker betting statues, in an attempt to help you make a more informed decision regarding your options when it comes to finding a real money Internet poker websites to play at in MA:
- “Gaming” not “gambling” is defined to include every act punishable under any law relative to lotteries, policy lotteries or policy, the buying or selling of pools or registering of bets. Apparently, in Massachusetts the word lottery is synonymous with betting and gambling. (Chapter 4, Section 7)
- As expected, the penalties for permitting a non legit gambling operation in MA are harsher than for merely participating in an illegal gambling or real cash betting activity. Gamblers are subject to a fine of no more than fifty dollars or [imprisonment] for no more than three months while anyone who permits a game of something like Texas Hold’em poker can do up to one year of jail time.
- Running a sizable gambling ring (Chapter 271, Section 16A) carries with it heavy levies in MA, including up to fifteen (15) years in prison and a $10,000 fine. In order to be guilty, the gambling or betting ringleader would have to be in charge of at least four persons so that such persons may provide facilities or services or assist in the provision of facilities or services for the conduct of illegal lotteries, or for the illegal registration of bets or the illegal buying and selling of pools upon the result of a trial or contest in Massachusetts.
- The use of a telephone for gaming purposes is deemed illegal. The law was probably designed to combat sports betting and not legal real money poker gambling, but it can be loosely interpreted as a blanket law that would envelop online gambling and Internet poker betting. Penalties for placing phone bets include up to a $2,000 fine and as much as one year behind bars in an MA prison.
Massachusetts features plenty (soon to be more) facilities where gambling on real money poker games is considered legal and acceptable.
To read more about Massachusetts gambling and real cash poker betting laws [4] and other gaming related news, check out the “References” section.
- U. S. Poker Site
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The Facts
The History of Gambling in Massachusetts
1934
1934
Betting on horse racing and dog racing was legalized.
1971
1971
The modern lottery was created and introduced to the state of Massachusetts in 1971. The first draw took place the following year and has grew ever since.
2007
2007
The rapid growth of gambling throughout Massachusetts saw the introduction of a casino expansion bill. Unfortunately, this didn’t make it into law and was not signed by the governor.
2011
2011
A casino bill passed under the Expanded Gaming Act. This resulted in three casino resorts and one slot parlor to be built and opened.
2013
2013
Charitable gaming revenues were recorded and reportedly $66.5 million was the total annual gross from the year.
2014
2014
Potential arose for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to start plans on building a casino in the south eastern part of the state. This was a result of the federal tribal commission dropping objections to the proposed idea.
2015
2015
This was a big year for the state as it saw the opening of a slot parlor at Plainridge Park casino. Additionally, MGM Springfield and Wynn Everett are two casino resorts under development.
Unlike other pre-Revolutionary War colonies, the majority of Massachusetts early residents were vehemently opposed to lotteries and other forms of gambling like legal Texas Hold’em poker betting. Part of this unfavorable outlook on legit gambling in MA was likely due to the widespread presence of Puritans. By the 1800s Massachusetts’ betting stance had grown so strong that it would offer opposition to other states establishing real money lotteries and thus allowing legal gambling.
As it did in most north-eastern states, the Great Depression forced Massachusetts to loosen its haughty stance on gambling and legit poker betting, and by 1934 the State Racing Commission was created. Simultaneously, the Suffolk Downs [5] horseracing gambling track was built. Harness and greyhound racing tracks followed shortly thereafter. Betting real money in MA on greyhound racing has since been banned (2008).
Ironically, Massachusetts was also one of the first states to implement a statewide Lottery for its gambling hungry citizens. In the early 1970s, the state was desperately in need of a revenue infusion, and the lottery provided a welcome windfall of lawful gambling real money revenue.
Charitable and pari-mutuel betting are also legal in Massachusetts, and as of 2011 commercial casinos and real money poker gambling rooms became permissible in MA under state law. Tribal casinos and real cash poker card rooms, like those in Connecticut, are also deemed legal within Massachusetts borders.
To date, the only building labeled a casino in Massachusetts is Stockbridge Casino, which functioned as a social attraction and not a real money poker gambling facility. Today, Stockbridge Casino is a historic tourist attraction and not somewhere to go for a little real cash Texas Hold’em poker action.
Regulation Gambling Options in Massachusetts
Just because nearly every type of gambling and betting including real money poker gambling is legal in Massachusetts, doesn’t mean MA citizens have a plethora of options when it comes to where to do their lawful real money betting. If anything, they’re usually forced to drive into Connecticut or another neighboring state to get their gambling or poker betting fix. That will change soon, as within the next several years at least one commercial or tribal casino with a real money poker room will open its doors to the public.
In addition to the imminent construction of a full-scale casino resort, Massachusetts residents can purchase real cash lottery tickets from one of hundreds of authorized sellers, or participate in various charitable or pari-mutuel gambling and gambling settings. This is a great way for poker betting fans to satisfy their gambling itches before real money poker comes to MA in full force.
Poker players in Massachusetts can pick from an array of poker websites, none of which are regulated by the state.
The Future of Regulated Online Gambling in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is one of only a handful of east coast states that could support a viable intrastate Internet poker iGaming operation. Its population rivals that of New Jersey, and Massachusetts is the sixth most visited state in the US (New Jersey is ninth) meaning MA stands to make a lot of money out of its gambling population if it opens real cash legal poker websites [6]. The state of MA is also open to future Internet gambling and real money poker betting compacts with Pennsylvania and California, should those states legalize regulated online gambling and Internet poker as well.
However, all of MA state’s attempts to push iGaming Internet poker legislation thus far have fallen decidedly flat. Combine that with the state’s elongated land-based casino and real money poker room expansion efforts and it could be a while before the online gambling and real cash poker websites in MA issue is taken seriously. Although, once the time is right for Internet gambling to become lawful in MA, and it seems inevitable that it will be, Massachusetts should be in full support of expanding into the Internet gambling and real money poker websites market.
Fun Fact
Online Poker Map
“Action Dan” Harrington, the writer of Harrington on Hold’em – a series of real cash poker books that has helped hundreds of thousands of aspiring gambling poker players elevate their Texas Hold’em poker games – is a native of Massachusetts, indicative by his heavy Boston accent, and authentic green Red Sox cap.
Most famous for winning the prestigious poker betting tournament that was the WSOP Main Event in 1995 and making back-to-back final table Main Event appearances in 2003 and 2004, Harrington’s notorious real money poker squeeze play was on full display on national TV, and remains one of the most memorable hands in recent legit poker history.
The Bottom Line
Massachusetts, like so many other states in the area, is proceeding with caution into the world of lawful real cash Internet poker. Until its land-based casino and real money poker gambling room arrangements are settled, do not expect an online gambling Internet poker bill to pass through MA government. Even then, if New Jersey and Delaware fail to make headway in the iGaming Internet poker and real cash gambling market, Massachusetts might abandon its tentative plans to introduce online gambling and Internet poker websites completely.
But with Connecticut determined to expand into the virtual arena of real money poker websites, and the possibility of interstate Internet poker compacts looming, the next logical step for Massachusetts would be to throw its hat into the legal real cash poker websites mix – especially since it’s already in the process of building three facilities that could legally inhabit online gaming operations and legit real money Internet poker websites.
Online Poker Magyarorszag
References
[1] ↑Governor Patrick Signs Expanded Gaming Legislation
[2] ↑Two Connecticut Tribes Closer to Building Casinos in Massachusetts
[3] ↑Another Swing and a Miss for Massachusetts Online Gambling
[4] ↑Massachusetts Gaming Commission
[5] ↑Suffolk Downs
[6] ↑Statistic Brain: Tourism Stats
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