There's also floorball, handball, bowling, lacrosse, pool, rodeo, sailing, beach soccer and special events like the Oscars, the Emmys and Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Along with the other sports you might expect like baseball, hockey, golf and soccer, the gaming commission's catalog of approved events and wagers covers everything from Australian Rules football to volleyball. 12 and the March Madness college basketball tournament, but the universe of Massachusetts sports betting will be much broader than just football and basketball. Regulators picked launch dates with an eye toward the Super Bowl on Feb. Members of the Gaming Commission visited each of the three sportsbooks on Monday, touring the facilities and testing out their ability to accept wagers. Encore Boston Harbor has a slew of athletes on its morning event roster - former Bruin Shawn Thornton, former Patriots Ty Law and Matt Light, former Boston Celtics Cedric Maxwell and Eddie House, former Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon, and hockey player Angela Ruggiero, a four-time Olympian. Boston Bruins legend Ray Bourque will be on hand for MGM Springfield's inaugural bet, and former New England Patriot Rob Ninkovich will take part in the festivities at Plainridge Park Casino. Legal betting begins with fanfare, and big names.Įach of the three casinos is marking the start of sports wagering with its own special event, all featuring athletes with Massachusetts ties on their marquees.

Here are four things to know as sports betting kicks off in Massachusetts. It’s the biggest change in the Massachusetts gambling landscape since the opening of the casinos first authorized under a 2011 law, and a day that’s been eagerly awaited by both sports fans and the elected officials who pushed to legalize wagering on athletic events. The state’s three casinos - Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville and MGM Springfield - will open their sportsbooks and begin taking bets, while the state Gaming Commission continues to work toward an anticipated March launch date for mobile-only sports betting. After years of debate and weeks of regulatory wrangling, legal sports betting officially arrives in Massachusetts at 10 a.m.

Do all casinos have sports betting