Can you tell me the current situation with gaming at casinos in Massachusetts? Many types of gambling are legal in this state, but they must be conducted in official establishments.
There is a governing organization in Massachusetts called the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The Commission has only approved two commercial casinos for the state at this time. Casino goers can place bets on a variety of table and slot machine games. In addition, there is another gambling establishment that allows solely slot machines.
Tribal casinos in Massachusetts are legal thanks to the state’s Gaming Commission. Although sports betting is not legal in Massachusetts at present time, this might change in 2021. In addition to the state’s two legal racetracks, a third, defunct greyhound racing facility now provides simulcast betting.
Interesting Nuggets About The Bay State
This is not a typo; a lake in Massachusetts goes by the name Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. This is the longest name of any location in the county, with 45 letters. We can promise you that no one hit their head on the keyboard while trying to come up with the name. The original meaning of the word originates from the Nipmuc Indians’ language. The name means, “lake separated by islands,” in its basic translation.
Basketball and volleyball were also invented in Massachusetts, which is another interesting fact. James Naismith created basketball in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Only four years after basketball’s inception, William G. Morgan created volleyball in Holyoke, Massachusetts, a mere 10 miles distant from Springfield.
Massachusetts has played a significant part in the development of several popular American sports, thus it’s surprising that it does not allow sports betting. Bets on the outcome of horse and dog races, however, are perfectly allowed. This has been the case since the 1930s, when certain behaviors were first decriminalized.
Sites Offering Gambling Near Massachusetts
It’s still against the law in Massachusetts to gamble online. Online casinos that provide games like roulette and blackjack for real money are banned. There are just three legal gambling establishments in this state.
Two of them are full-fledged resort casinos with all the standard casino games. Both the Encore at Boston Harbor and the MGM Springfield casinos are in question. There is also a gaming parlor where only slot machines are allowed. Located in Plainville, Massachusetts, not far from Rhode Island, is the Plainridge Park Casino.
While there are provisions for Indian casinos in the Bay State, no Native American-owned gambling establishments are open for business at this time. But that might change in the next several years, as two tribes are now awaiting approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to begin building casinos.
Two racetracks in Massachusetts accept parimutuel wagers on horse and greyhound racing events. Suffolk Downs and Plainridge Racecourse are the two venues. Also, simulcast betting on horse and greyhound events is available at the old dog racing track at Raynham Park.