The time has finally arrived, with sports betting officially approved in Massachusetts. Sports fans can now bet via online apps, effective Friday, March 10th.
Massachusetts residents have been able to bet on sports in person for over a month via sportsbooks at Encore Boston Harbor, Plainridge Casino in Plainville, and MGM Boston in Springfield.
However, online access now makes it much easier for anyone to bet on a game.
There are currently six approved online betting operators, which are as follows:
- Barstool Sportsbook
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- WynnBet
The good news is that these sportsbooks are battling to win customers, meaning a lot of bonuses are flying around to win new customers. And they are clogging our feeds and TV's with the likes of highly paid shills like Kevin Hart (DraftKings), Jamie Foxx (BetMGM), Gronk (FanDuel), Shaq (WynnBet), and even JB Smoove (Caesar's)?
I decided to sign up for each sportsbook, exploring the bonus offers and any restrictions. All in all, based on current bonuses among the six new sportsbooks in MA I was able to collect $800 in Bonuses.
All of the bonus offers make you deposit at the very least a minimum of $10, but the bonus received is dependent on the sportsbook and the offer.
My review of each provider/app and the current bonuses each sportsbook provides follows. Please note that I include referral links when available, but my thoughts are unbiased.
Couple of quick notes on all of the online books. All have a $10 minimum. All of them only will accept debit cards (no credit cards). Paypal and Venmo are available on some, but for some reason PayPal didn't work for me with any deposits.
Barstool Sportsbook
Dave Portnoy's baby is finally up and running after a few technical difficulties. Barstool (now owned by Penn Gaming) has a slick app and has the support of all the Barstool guys who are all over Twitter pumping their picks. I went ahead and made a $10 Deposit to get the $50 Bonus bets on both the Celtics and Bruins Championship runs.
LATEST BONUS DETAILS: New Player Bonus: If your first bet loses, you will receive a refund in sportsbook bonus cash equal to the amount wagered (up to $1,000).
There is also a straight $50 Bonus for new player deposits.
Also, for a limited time, if you make a $5 bet, Barstool will give you two $50 bets on the Celtics and Bruins to win their respective championships. Once your account is created, just head to the 'Promotions' section on the website/app. You will also need to go to the promo and click 'Opt In'.
BetMGM
You've probably seen Jamie Foxx all over by now, pitching the BetMGM sports betting app. The app is pretty slick and after making a few bets at BetMGM i definitely could see this as one of my go to sports betting apps. I went ahead with the $50 Bonus Bet promo.
LATEST BONUS DETAILS: BetMGM's big bonus offer for new players is something that a few others are engaging in as well. They are offering up to $1000 paid back, in bonus bets if you don't win. So, if you go and lose $1000 at BetMGM, they will credit your account with 5 x $200 Bonus Bets. Notably, these Bonus Bet amounts cannot be included in any future winnings.
There is also a straight $50 Bonus offer for any new deposits.
Caesar's Sportsbook
JB Smoove as your spokesperson? I don't quite get this one, although the Caesar's app is pretty solid. Clean lines and easy to use. Most people say that the payouts are reliable although customer service is a bit lacking. Overall, just based on the app (made by Digitain a big sportsbook app provider) i think Caesar's could be a contender.
LATEST BONUS DETAILS: Like BetMGM, Caesars is offering new players with a bonus paid back if their first bet loses, but for $1500 (versus up to $100 for BetMGM. It's paid back as one single bet that must be used within 14 days.
There is also a straight $100 Bonus offer for any new deposits of $50 or more.
DraftKings
I've played on DraftKings daily fantasy for over ten years, so this was the most natural transition to a sportsbook for me. I personally like Parlays and DraftKings 'Quick Parlay' section is cool, where they allow you mix and match parlay bets. I could get used to this. They are also now offering a $200 Bonus for any new players betting $5 to start with. Make sure you check your account for details. It appears that it is issued in 8 x $25 Bonus Bets.
LATEST BONUS DETAILS: Get up to $200 Bonus with deposit for new members to DraftKings Sportsbook. $200 Bonus is for any deposit of $200 or more. Get a $25 Bonus for deposits from $25-$49. If deposit is $50-$99, get one $50 Bonus Bet. If desposit is $100-$199, get one (1) $100 Bonus Bet. If the deposit is $200+, both receive one (1) $200 Bonus Bet.
FanDuel
Most sports fans are likely familiar with FanDuel for their prominence in the daily fantasy landscape. But FanDuel has become a major competitor in sports betting across the US. For MA residents, FanDuel is offering $200 in bonuses for new customers. The only requirement is the deposit of $10.
LATEST BONUS DETAILS: $200 Bonus, Must Deposit $10, and Bet $5 to get the $200 Bonus within 72 Hours. Note that the bonus amount cannot be withdrawn, only any winnings received when using the Bonus amount.
WynnBet
You've probably seen Julian Edelman out and about pimping WynnBet in Massachusetts and Shaq is now the national spokesman of WynnBet. The app is fine, although I've heard mixed reviews in terms of bonus honoring and customer service. I'm waiting on this one and leaning into DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM for now.
LATEST BONUS DETAILS: Best offer now seems to be a bet $100, get $100 Bonus