Massachusetts Sweepstakes Casino Online: How Does Massachusetts Gaming Laws Work & Is It Legal To Play Real Money Casino in MA?

Is it legal to play at online casinos in Massachusetts?

When it comes to online casinos in Massachusetts, the state has adopted the federal government’s approach. According to the U.S. Code Title 31 SUBTITLE IV CHAPTER 53 SUBCHAPTER IV, ‘unlawful internet gambling’ is prohibited, unless stated otherwise.

1. “(A)In general.—The term “unlawful Internet gambling” means to place, receive, or otherwise knowingly transmit a bet or wager by any means which involves the use, at least in part, of the Internet where such bet or wager is unlawful under any applicable Federal or State law in the State or Tribal lands in which the bet or wager is initiated, received, or otherwise made.
2. (B)Intrastate transactions.—The term “unlawful Internet gambling” does not include placing, receiving, or otherwise transmitting a bet or wager where—
   • (i)the bet or wager is initiated and received or otherwise made exclusively within a single State;
   • (ii)the bet or wager and the method by which the bet or wager is initiated and received or otherwise made is expressly authorized by and placed in accordance with the laws of such State, and the State law or regulations include—
     • (I)age and location verification requirements reasonably designed to block access to minors and persons located out of such State; and
     • (II)appropriate data security standards to prevent unauthorized access by any person whose age and current location has not been verified in accordance with such State’s law or regulations;”

So while you will find some land-based casinos in the state, there are no real money online casinos in Massachusetts with no deposit bonuses that you can access anytime soon.

Which forms of gambling are allowed in Massachusetts?

Did you know that sports betting was legalized in Massachusetts as recently as 2022? That’s right, it is now legal for residents of Massachusetts to bet on online sportsbooks or walk into a retail sportsbook, all of which have to be licensed by the state to be operating legally.

Sports betting legalization was signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker on August 25, 2022, and surprisingly, it is not the only form of gambling you can take part in in the state.

Below are all the legal forms of gambling permitted in Massachusetts:

1. State lottery—established in 1971, was one of the first legal state lotteries in the United States
2. Online and retail sports betting
3. Charitable organizations hosting bingo or raffles

If you're looking to play online casino games, it's likely no other option will come as close as sweepstakes casinos in Massachusetts.  These offer free casino games for people without any deposits or purchases required.

We've spent some time researching this so we can answer the common questions below:

Is it legal to play at sweepstakes casinos in Massachusetts?

Although Massachusetts has strict anti-gambling laws when it comes to online casinos, the regulation around Massachusetts sweepstakes casinos is slightly different and generally more vague.

According to the Massachusetts General Laws, Part IV, Title I, Chapter 271, Section 5B, the use of sweepstakes machines to offer sweepstakes games in physical locations is strictly prohibited. The law defines sweepstakes as:

• “'Sweepstakes'', any game, advertising scheme or plan, or other promotion, which, with or without payment of any consideration, a person may enter to win or become eligible to receive any prize, the determination of which is based upon chance.” 

The law further states:

1. b) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly possess with the intent to operate, or place into operation, an electronic machine or device to:
   • (1) conduct a sweepstakes through the use of an entertaining display, including the entry process or the reveal of a prize; or -
   • (2) promote a sweepstakes that is conducted through the use of an entertaining display, including the entry process or the reveal of a prize.

What's missing here is the regulation of online sweepstakes casinos, which offer sweepstakes games that aren't played at a retail location, on sweepstakes machines. Therefore, most experts have interpreted this law as only applying to sweepstakes games in Massachusetts that are offered at retail locations.

For now, online sweepstakes casinos in Massachusetts are legal and tolerated, since there are no explicit laws stating otherwise.

Do sweepstakes casinos operating in the state of Massachusetts need to be licensed?

Sweepstakes casinos are seen as separate from online casinos since they don't run on the same model. While online casinos require you to place a bet or a wager in exchange for the opportunity to win a prize, sweepstakes casinos run on a free-for-all model and you don’t need real currency to access these games.

So while a real money online casino in Massachusetts with a no deposit bonus will be immediately shut down owing to legality, sweepstakes casinos have been operating in a state largely unhindered. Since there are no specific laws framed around them, there is no licensing mechanism around them either.

So currently, all legitimate sweepstakes casinos in Massachusetts are operating without any license, owing to their unique position in the legal landscape.

How do you identify which sweepstakes casinos are legit?

If you run a simple search on Massachusetts sweepstakes casinos, you'll see hundreds of options pop up on your browser. In fact, you'll also find plenty of online casinos in Massachusetts, asking you to sign up on their site and claim their bonus.

Now that we have told you online casinos aren't legal in Massachusetts, you know what to look out for and will be able to clearly identify these scam sites. However, given that sweepstakes casinos are not regulated the same way, it might be harder for you to differentiate the reputed sites from the malicious ones.

To help you make a correct assessment, we've put together a few tips. Here's a few easy tips below to spot the legitimate sweepstakes casinos:

What potential future updates on online casinos in Massachusetts can the people expect?

We have some very good news for those eagerly awaiting the legalization of online casinos in Massachusetts. Here is what we have found so far:

1. Massachusetts online casino legislation: probable for 2025: According to our review, Republican State Rep. David Muradian has claimed that he is in favor of legalizing online casinos in Massachusetts, which he sees as the “next logical step” after the state legalized sports betting. He said, “We did casinos; we did sports wagering; we did iLottery. The logical progression is to look at how we can potentially legalize iGaming, especially when our neighboring states of Connecticut and Rhode Island are already doing it.”. Most likely, there might be a bill on the table in 2025.
2. Lower taxes for Massachusetts voters: Massachusetts is currently Democrat-controlled and online casino legalization typically hasn’t gone down well with that faction. This is why Republican lawmakers might be trying to influence public sentiment around it by telling people that the revenue from online casinos will mean less taxes in the state.

While the signs are looking positive, there is no telling with certainty whether such a bill will make it to the House next year, let alone pass. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.

No-deposit bonus playthrough requirements in Massachusetts

If you do sign up for an online site to play sweepstakes games in Massachusetts, chances are you will notice talks of prize redemptions. Typically, sweepstakes casinos offer SC coins for free, which can be redeemed for cash prizes and gifts cards.

There are usually playthrough requirements that you will need to fulfill in order to redeem your coins for prizes. Check out below the top Massachusetts sweepstakes casinos and their respective playthrough requirements.

What are users saying about playing sweepstakes casinos and online in Massachusetts?

To find out what people are saying online about sweepstakes casinos and online casinos in Massachusetts, we looked at forums like Reddit. We found some interesting discussions, which largely align with our own research into the sweepstakes casino laws and legality of online casinos in Massachusetts.

One Redittor asked if he could play Holdem online in Massachusetts with real money since he read online that such sites aren't allowed.

In response to his question, one person commented that it's illegal to operate online poker sites in most U.S. states but not illegal to play. While those who play on illegal sites don’t often get into serious trouble, we would highly recommend not doing so. It's not worth the risk.

Federal and state agencies are getting stricter about these illegal sites. Your transaction histories can be traced back to these sites, which can open you up to legal action.

If you're looking for sweepstakes casinos in Massachusetts, we found that Pulsz casino has some great games and is often recommended. We did notice that it is not legal in certain states, but thankfully, Massachusetts doesn't feature on that list.

Massachusetts is a small state so understandably there is not much discussion online that we can tie to that state. However, from the looks of it, it's clear that people largely avoid online casinos and are leaning towards sweepstakes casinos, to avoid issues with the law.

Final thoughts on sweepstakes casinos in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has legalized sports betting and the online state lottery; however, online casinos continue to remain illegal in the state. There are talks of a bill making its way to the House committee in 2025, but no such commitments have been made yet.

Sweepstakes casinos in Massachusetts have naturally emerged as a popular alternative to online casinos since you can still play online casino games on these sites. So check them out if you're craving some online casino action minus the risk.

Massachusetts Legal Sweepstakes Casino FAQ