Not today, but soon is the concise and to-the-point answer. Sports betting legislation has been passed in Massachusetts, but a sports betting launch has yet to happen.
Celtics fans need not worry; rest assured, Celtics bettors, you will be able to legally place wagers on Boston basketball before the end of the NBA season. All reports suggest that the Massachusetts sports betting launch will come sometime early in the new year.
How Sports Betting Was Legalized in Massachusetts
A sports betting bill was up for discussion during the final legislative window for Massachusetts in 2022. It appeared as if nothing would happen, and Massachusetts bettors would have to wait until 2023 for gambling legislation to be passed.
Past midnight though, on the last day of July, actually August 1st, sports betting legislation was passed. A vote of 156-3-1 was passed by state representatives. Governor Charlie Baker later signed the bill on August 10th, which brings us to where we are now, waiting for Massachusetts state regulators to finish all the final details that will allow sports betting providers to start taking bets.
Massachusetts Sports Betting Rules & Details
Massachusetts law will allow for as many as 15 mobile betting operators. Eight of the 15 have to be tied to a land-based partner. All of the state’s racetracks and casinos will receive a sports betting license. Several of the likely top sports betting providers in Massachusetts include:
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- Barstool Sportsbook
- WynnBet Sportsbook
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- BetMGM Sportsbook
Massachusetts HB5164, aka the Massachusetts Sports Wagering Act, has several key details to know:
- No betting on in-state college teams, with the exception of tournament play.
- All racetracks and casinos will receive sports betting licenses.
- Fifteen available mobile sports betting licenses.
- No bans or prohibiting of sports betting advertising.
- Credit cards will not be one of the legal methods for depositing money into your sportsbook account.
What Celtics Fans Can Look Forward to Betting On
The Celtics are off to one of the best starts in the entire NBA. Not only is Boston entertaining to watch, but if the Celtics keep this pace up, there is a strong chance for individual player awards and team accomplishments. Also, All of those things can be wagered on with future bets to go along with betting things like the spread, moneyline, and more on gameday. Here are several future bets that Celtics fans and bettors can look forward to betting on.
1)Celtics 2023 NBA Championship Winner +300
2)Celtics 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Winner +150
3)Celtics 2023 NBA Atlantic Division Winner -2000
1) 2023 Regular Season MVP Winner
Jayson Tatum +250
Jaylen Brown +15000
2) 2023 NBA Defensive Player Of The Year
Marcus Smart +3500
Robert Williams +7000
Al Horford +8000
Jaylen Brown +30000
3) 2023 NBA Sixth Man Of The Year Award
Derrick White +8000
Grant Williams +10000
4) 2023 NBA Championship Exacta (Winner/Loser)
Winner -Boston Celtics / Runner Up -Golden State Warriors +1800
Also, Winner -Boston Celtics / Runner Up -Los Angeles Clippers +2000
Winner -Boston Celtics / Runner Up -Phoenix Suns +2000
(Odds by Caesars Sportsbook)
Signing Up for a Massachusetts Sportsbook
However, We will use Caesar’s sportsbook for this example of how a Massachusetts resident can sign up for a sportsbook for the first time. Breaking it down step by step for you, signing up for a sportsbook for the first time is pretty simple.
- Go to the Caesars Sportsbook website or mobile app.
- Click “Sign-up/Join Now”
- Also, Fill out all of the required information, which includes things like your name, address, email address, telephone number, and a few other things.
- Confirm your identity; Caesars may require you to provide your social security number, driver’s license number, or another identity verifier to prove who you are.
- Enter your new user Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts promo code to get free betting credits to use for your first bets at Caesars.
- Make your first deposit into your sportsbook account.
- Start placing bets on anything you want, like any of the listed Caesars Celtics futures.
Going back to the start, when can you start betting on the Celtics in Massachusetts? The answer to that is soon, very soon. While a date cannot be pinpointed yet, it is highly probable that Celtics fans and bettors will be able to start placing wagers sometime in the New Year.
In the meantime, sign up for your sportsbook accounts before launch to ensure you get verified and can start betting as soon as sportsbooks in Massachusetts officially launch.