Online Poker Ma
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- Advantages of Playing Online Poker in Massachusetts. It can be quite hard to find a steady stream of new Poker players to play on the Massachusetts Poker scene, and this is where it is going to be beneficial for you to move all of your land based Poker playing action over to the online Poker.
- Massachusetts first explored online poker expansion when it was working on its brick-and-mortar casino expansion bill back in 2010. Back then the state was considering prohibiting online poker. The prohibition of online poker never caught on during the casino.
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Massachusetts poker players have a lot going for them. They can either play live poker at two casinos within the state, or they can play poker online at one of the best Massachusetts poker sites.
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If you’re interested play real money poker in Massachusetts, then here’s good news! This guide will help you get started, whether you want to play live, online, or both.
Here’s what our guide covers.
- The benefits to playing poker online
- The poker games and stakes you can play online
- The online poker promotions you can claim
- What the best online poker sites for Massachusetts have in common
- The two casinos in MA that offer live poker including the games they spread, the promotions they run, and more
Our goal is to help you understand what your poker options are and to help you find a place to play. That way, you spend less time reading and figuring things out and spend more time playing poker.
Sound good? Then, let’s get started.
Online poker is not the same as live poker. Never mind the social aspect – the games and stakes you can play, the hours you can play, the promotions you can claim, and much more are different, too.
What we want to do now is show you some of the ways that online poker is different. But different in a way where you can benefit.
You Can Claim a Deposit Bonus
A deposit bonus is a promotion you won’t find offline. This is an offer in which the casino matches a percentage of your deposit. This can double or even triple your bankroll.
For example, many of our top poker sites in Massachusetts offer a 100% match bonus up to $500 or $1,000. For every $1 you deposit, the poker room will give you $1. If you claim the maximum bonus, you’ll add $500 or $1,000 to your bankroll.
Online poker sites have far more cash game and tournament variants than any live cardroom.
For example, you can play heads-up cash games, 6+ Hold’em MTTs, step and satellite tournaments, MTTs with turbo and hyper turbo blinds, deep stacks, and much more.
Micro Stakes
Another benefit to playing poker online are the micro stakes.
These are games that have limits ranging from $0.01/$0.02 to $0.50/$1 for cash games and tournament buy-ins for $1 to $20.
Anonymous tables use numbers instead of screennames to identify players. These tables don’t allow permanent note taking or tagging either.
This is done to create a more even playing field between weaker or newer and stronger poker players.
Multi-Tabling
This is an option in which you can play on more than one table at a time.
Multi-tabling enables you to play more hands, earn more money, and get more playable hands during your session.
Casino poker rooms usually run one or two tournaments per day.
But when you play online, you’ll find dozens of tournaments running every day. That doesn’t include the SNGs that you can play either.
Tournament Guarantees
The top MA online poker sites in guarantee tens of thousands of dollars in tournament prize pools every day and millions of dollars every week.
You won’t find such tournaments in your average card room.
You can play online poker using your phone which enables you to play poker from anywhere in the world that has internet.
How does that sound? How does every other benefit in this list sound? Good, right? These are just a few of the many unique reasons why you should play poker online. You won’t find any of these benefits offline, that is for sure.
Now, what you will find offline are games and promotions. But the games and promotions you’ll find online are different in a good way!
We want to do these benefits a little more justice than the benefits we talked about in the last section. So, let’s take a closer look at the games and promotions that the top poker sites in Massachusetts offers.
Online Poker Games
One of the reasons we like to play online poker so much are the games. Join one of the best Massachusetts poker sites, and you can find more variety than several live cardrooms combined.
The most common poker games you can play are Texas Hold’em and Omaha. But depending on which site you join you might also be able to play these games.
- Seven-Card Stud
- Razz
- Mixed games, such as H.O.R.S.E., H.A., H.O.E., H.O.S.E., etc.
- 2-7 Triple Draw
- Five-Card Draw
- Badugi
These games are available in fixed, pot limit, and no limit betting formats. And you can play them in cash games, tournaments, and SNGs.
But another huge difference between online and live poker games are all the variants you can play.
A large percentage of the games you’ll play online, especially tournaments, use a combination of these variants, such as a turbo, deep stack, knockout tournament.
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The last thing you need to know about online poker games are the stakes you can play for. As we said earlier, you can play for much smaller limits than brick-and-mortar poker rooms offer.
For example, you won’t find a live cash game with limits less than $1/$2 or $1/$3, but online poker sites offer many levels below that. Here are the limits that you can expect to find from any one of our recommended poker sites.
- $0.01/$0.02
- $0.02/$0.05
- $0.05/$0.10
- $0.10/$0.25
- $0.25/$0.50
- $0.50/$1
There’s also a wide range of buy-ins for the MTTs and SNGs that you can play at the top poker sites in Massachusetts.
What’s great about these lower stakes is that people who could otherwise only play a few times per year live because of how expensive it is can now play far more.
You also have a lot of levels to move up and down to, which gives you the freedom to adjust based on how well you’re playing and variance. For example, you can take a small jump to test higher limits and not risk your entire bankroll. Or you can drop down one level and it won’t hurt your ego too badly.
Great, right?
The bottom line is this, you’re going to have a much larger selection of games, variants, and stakes to choose from online. This will help you prevent boredom, manage your bankroll, and enjoy playing poker more since you can play according to your experience, budget, and interests.
Another huge benefit to playing real money poker online are the promotions. For example, we talked about the deposit bonus earlier, an offer in which the poker site will give you $1 for every $1 you deposit.
This is hugely beneficial. If you’re a slightly losing poker player, this money will help you stay afloat. And if you’re a breakeven or winning player, then every extra dollar you make is pure profit.
The great news is that the deposit bonus isn’t the only promotion that Massachusetts online poker sites run, far from it. They run several other promotions that can also add more profit to your bottom line.
Rake Race
This is a competition to see who can accumulate the most (paid) rake in a given timeframe.
The people who generate the most rake will win a prize.
This is also a competition. A few examples of challenges the poker room might issue include playing the most cash game hands or the most SNGs during a specific period.
You’ll earn points for ever hand or SNG you play. The more points you earn, the higher up on the leaderboard you’ll finish and the better the prize you’ll earn.
VIP Program
The points you earn for playing real money games will determine your status in a VIP program. VIP programs often have multiple tiers. You’ll need to earn so many points to reach each one.
Once you reach the next level, you’ll unlock that level’s perks. The perks get better as you improve your status. The perks you can unlock include bonuses, higher points-to-cash exchange rates, freerolls, and more.
Freerolls are poker tournaments cost nothing to enter but usually have a real money prize pool.
The near thing about freeroll tournaments in 2020 and beyond is that freerolls are often reserved for VIP members or real money players. This means the fields are much smaller than they used to be, making it much easier for you to win money from them.
Cashback
You’ll earn points for playing real money games, which you can later turn in for cash.
If you join one of our top-rated MA poker sites and you know basic poker strategy, making money from these offers isn’t that terribly hard to do.
You don’t need much to start playing poker online. All you need is a computer or mobile device, an internet connection, and a few bucks to deposit into your account.
Well, you obviously have a computer and internet access. And chances are, you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t afford to deposit at least $5 or $10 to play poker (the deposit minimum at most sites).
But what you might not have is an account with at least one online poker site. And that’s where we come in to help.
You’ll notice that we recommend several poker sites on this page. These are the best poker sites in Massachusetts, and here is why you should join at least one of them.
- They all have gambling licenses issued by a reputable gaming authority.
- They all have a positive reputation in the online poker community.
- They all have safe and secure poker software.
- They all have native mobile apps or mobile-responsive websites.
- They all accept US-friendly banking options like Bitcoin, credit and debit cards, and bank wires.
- They all have promotions such as deposit bonuses, cashback, rake back, guaranteed tournaments, and leaderboard challenges.
- They all have a large variety of poker games, variants, betting formats, and stakes.
- They all have high-quality software with features like four-color decks, anonymous tables, auto-muck, different table layouts, and note-taking.
- They all have many ways to contact customer service such as by email, live chat, and phone.
These poker sites are truly the best of the best. Here’s how we know that.
- We have spent years playing online poker.
- We have spent the last several years working in the online poker industry.
- We have spent hours researching, testing, and comparing the best poker sites in the United States.
The point is that we know what we’re doing. When we say that these are the best poker sites in Massachusetts, you have our word that there are no better sites out there that you can join.
Casino Poker in Massachusetts
There are two casinos that offer poker in Massachusetts — the Encore and MGM.
Here are the games and promotions that each one offers.
The Encore Boston Harbor has 74 tables, which easily makes them one of the largest poker rooms in the country. Their poker room has 75 TVs, complimentary drinks, tableside food service, and free Wi-Fi, so you have everything you need to enjoy your poker night.
The Encore runs several promotions too, such as their “comp dollars,” which they offer on all their games. They also run a bad beat jackpot on their cash games (up to $2/$5).
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Outside of their poker room, the Encore has a spa, fitness center, the Harborwalk, and several restaurants and bars. You’ll have plenty to do both on and off the tables.
MGM (Springfield)
The MGM Springfield has 23 poker tables where they run both cash games and tournaments 24/7. That said, poker tournaments appear to be their primary focus.
They run a variety of tournaments each week. Here are a few examples of MTTs they’re running or have run in the past.
- Springfield Armory Classic (part of the East Coast Poker Tour (ECPT))
- $250 NLHE with $50k GTD (multi-day event)
- $75 NLHE with one rebuy
- $100 NLHE Turbo
- $75 NLHE Turbo with one rebuy and late registration
- $75 “Women’s Wednesday” NLHE ($20 added for each woman that enters)
- $60 NLHE
- 50/50 NLHE Bounty
The MGM Springfield runs a variety of promotions, too.
For example, they have a progressive $200 hourly high-hand promotion on Fridays and Saturdays. And you can win up to $2,500 for making quads, a straight flush, or royal flush.
There’s plenty going on inside their poker.
Outside their poker room, you can go see a comedy show or music act, walk over to the Symphony Hall, use a golf simulator in their Topgolf Swing Suite, or eat at one of their seven restaurants.
There is plenty to do at the MGM too, if you want to head there for the weekend instead of just for poker night.
And this wraps up your casino poker options in Massachusetts. They both sound like great options if you enjoy live poker and don’t mind making the drive.
Summary
Massachusetts isn’t a poker utopia like Nevada, Pennsylvania, or Florida. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of real money poker action to go around.
Just take the two casinos we talked about earlier. There are nearly 100 poker tables between them where they spread Texas Hold’em cash games and tournaments.
And then, of course, there is online poker. There are tons of benefits you can enjoy when you go this route, including a large variety of games and stakes and profitable promotions.
Online Poker Mac
Online poker is awesome. We suggest you give it a shot if you haven’t already. All you need is a PC, internet access, and at least $10. Oh, and you’ll want an account with one of the top poker sites in MA.
We can’t help you with the first three items, but we can show you the best Massachusetts poker sites. They’re on this page. Choose one and create your account now! You truly won’t regret it.
Can You Play Online Poker in Massachusetts?
It’s fair to say that the gambling market in Massachusetts is fairly new. While horse and dog racing betting has been around for more than eight decades, that’s not the case for casinos. The first casinos were legalized just back in 2011, along with one slot parlor. However, commercial casinos in Massachusetts have been in operation for just over two years. Under these circumstances, it’s no surprise that MA online poker has yet to be legalized and that you can't play online poker in Massachusetts right now.
While such a scenario might look a bit disheartening at first, Massachusetts actually has some positive prospects. Online gaming originally proposed during the initial discussions for the 2011 gambling expansion. And while it did not come to fruition, the topic is still ongoing. Talks have been significantly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. For now, online poker in Massachusetts is still a bit of a distant dream. On the other hand, there is no way of telling what the future holds. It’s fair to say that MA actually has better chances to legalize online gambling compared to plenty of other states.
This, of course, doesn’t mean that you cannot play poker in Massachusetts. Both Bay State casinos offer live poker rooms. And with two Indian casinos already planned for the future, MA poker could thrive soon. Find everything you need to know about Massachusetts online poker in this guide brought to you by PokerNews.
History of Poker and Online Poker in Massachusetts
In order to take a look at poker in Massachusetts, we must first recap gambling in the state. Pari Mutuel gambling has been legal in MA since the 1930s. Charitable gambling has also been around for a long time. The state lottery was created in 1971, with its first draws happening in 1972. While Massachusetts has a long history of gambling, commercial casinos are very new. In fact, the commercial gambling market is still in its early days, which is quite surprising.
Gambling in Massachusetts was finally signed into law in 2011. However, the first commercial casino only opened to business seven years later. The Expanded Gaming Act, passed on November 22, 2011, allowed MA to have three resort casinos and one slot parlor. Plainridge Park Casino, the first slot parlor, opened to business in 2015.MGM Springfield, the first commercial casino in the Bay State, opened to business in 2018. A year later, Encore Boston Harbor joined the list. Massachusetts still has one commercial casino license remaining for the Southeast part. Currently, legal issues have held back Indian casinos in MA. That is set to change, however. Both the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head already have plans to build one casino each.
All gambling-related activities in MA are regulated by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which was established in 2011. And according to the MGC, live poker is legal to play in the Bay State. The two commercial casinos offer the largest poker rooms in the state. But that’s not the only option available to play poker in MA. The Bay State is well-known for its charity poker rooms.
Summary of Massachusetts Gambling & Poker Laws
- Online Poker/Gambling- All forms of online gambling, including online poker, are illegal in Massachusetts
- Live Poker - Live poker is legal in the state and has been approved by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission
- Casinos - Massachusetts currently has two resort casinos and one slot parlor, with two Indian casinos planned for construction
- Sports Betting - Sports betting is illegal in Massachusetts
- Fantasy Sports - Daily fantasy sports are legal in Massachusetts
- Esports - Esports betting is illegal in Massachusetts
- Other Gambling Options - Charitable gambling, state lottery, pair mutuel wagering on horse and dog racing
Online Poker in Massachusetts
Since commercial gambling is fairly new in Massachusetts, online gaming is still far from reality. This doesn’t mean that it has never been discussed. Quite the opposite, actually. Online gambling, including online poker, was initially proposed as part of the 2011 Expanded Gaming Act. As expected, the idea was quickly shot down. Since then, online gambling has found its way back into the political scene more often than not. The results have been the same as the initial attempt.
Massachusetts has the potential to create a thriving online poker market. Daily fantasy sports already enjoys plenty of popularity in the Bay State. In other words, there is definitely an opening for online gambling. Recent attempts to expand gambling in the state also included wording favorable to online gaming. However, all of them ultimately fell short.
There is plenty of reason to have hope for the future. While the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed most plans for online poker in MA, the Bay State remains among the top candidates to legalize it.
Is Online Poker Legal in Massachusetts?
The short answer is no, online poker is currently illegal in Massachusetts. There have been plenty of attempts to legalize online gambling in MA. However, they weren’t successful, and, as a result, online poker is still illegal. For now, live poker and charity poker are the only ways to play in the state. That being said, the future does look pretty bright for online poker in MA.
While there is no way of telling when it will happen, Massachusetts is a likely candidate to legalize online poker. The state has already laid the groundwork for online gambling. MA was the eighth state to legalize daily fantasy sports, which happened in 2016. This doesn’t necessarily mean that online poker will become legal in the near future. But out of all candidates, it’s fair to say that the Bay State is among the leading ones.
Online Poker Map
Since MA doesn’t allow real money online poker, social gaming apps remain the only legal alternative. Massachusetts legislation does not allow state residents to play online poker at offshore sites. And while you won’t necessarily get into legal trouble, we advise you steer clear from these sites. Offshore gambling sites aren’t particularly trustworthy, which means that the door is open for potential scammers.
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<h2>Where Can I Play Online Poker In Massachusetts?</h2>
Since online poker isn’t legal in Massachusetts, there is no way to play online for real money yet. If you want to play online poker in MA, then social gaming apps remain the only viable option. If online poker eventually gets greenlit in the state, then many other options will become available. Massachusetts could offer a very solid market for online poker brands such as PokerStars and PartyPoker. For now, neither is available to play in Bay State.
Just like all the other states, Massachusetts will likely require online gambling licenses. With two commercial casinos, one slot parlor and two planned Indian casinos, there is no lack of options. Prospective online poker sites will have to partner one of these land-based operations in order to offer their services in MA.
Massachusetts legislation doesn’t allow state residents to play online poker at offshore sites. There is no precedent to say that you will get in trouble for it. Even so, you should still avoid doing this. Offshore sites operate under lax regulations and have questionable player protection at best. So, in other words, avoid this option. Sooner or later, online poker will become available for players in MA.
Where Does Massachusetts Offer Legal Online Gambling?
Massachusetts does not have legal online gambling yet. Despite some initial attempts, it has not passed yet. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission does not list any legal online gambling sites either. The most recent attempts to legalize online gambling in MA happened in 2019 and 2020.
Notably, the 2020 proposal came very close to finally being approved. The Economic Development Bill did list sports betting. But the topic led to some long deliberation, which ultimately led to it being dropped. Sports betting would likely bring online gambling with it. And while the proposal did garner some support, it fell short of its goal. Lawmakers argued that while the proposal deserved some consideration, it would take too much time to deliberate. Since there are more pressing matters to discuss because of the pandemic, the debate on gambling was eventually shelved.
Massachusetts is a great market for sports, being home of four highly successful franchises. And this could certainly help in expanding gambling in the state. Ultimately, this could benefit online poker as well.
Will Massachusetts Regulate Legal Online Poker?
While we can’t accurately predict how the future will go, it’s quite likely that Massachusetts will regulate online poker at some point. The economic potential of online gambling cannot be ignored by state lawmakers. Additionally, MA does have a solid record as one of the pioneers in daily fantasy sports. After all, it was the eighth state to legalize DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports).
Online gambling is a much more delicate topic, but this doesn’t mean that legalizing it is impossible. The Bay State has already overcome the most significant barrier by allowing commercial casinos to operate. With two Indiana casinos planned and a third resort casino license still available, finding partners to operate in the state won’t be an issue.
The COVID-19 pandemic will have a significant impact in delaying the debate. Legalizing online poker won’t have priority over other more pressing matters. As a result, it will probably remain in the legislative limbo for a while longer. But, out of all candidates to allow online poker in the future, MA is definitely among the leading ones. Make sure to check PokerNews regularly and keep up to date with all the latest news and updates on online poker in Massachusetts.
US Poker Laws 2020 – Massachusetts FAQ
- Can you play online poker in Massachusetts?
No, you can’t play online poker for real money in Massachusetts. The state legislation does not allow online gambling, and that naturally applies to online poker as well. If you want to play online poker in MA, then social gaming apps are the only viable option. We recommend that you avoid playing at offshore sites. While it won’t necessarily get you into legal trouble, it’s still best to avoid them. Offshore sites have questionable standards and offer little player protection. - Are home poker games legal in Massachusetts?
Yes, home poker games are legal in Massachusetts. State legislation specifically forbids illegal commercial gambling operations. However, since home poker games do not fall under this category, they are perfectly legal. Of course, keep in mind that home poker games aren’t supposed to be a form of commercial gambling, even if they do involve real money. As long as home poker games are hosted for fun, then it’s perfectly fine. Promoting illegal gambling services, on the other hand, is a crime punishable with up to 15 years in prison. - Is online gambling legal in MA?
No, online gambling isn’t legal in MA. Despite plenty of attempts to legalize it, internet gaming is still illegal. The first attempt to legalize online gambling in MA happened in 2011, with the Extended Gaming Act. Massachusetts was the eighth state to legalize daily fantasy sports. But online gambling itself has yet to be approved. With the delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the debate on legalizing online gambling will have to wait. MA remains among the top candidates to become the next in line to legalize online gambling. - Is poker legal in Massachusetts?
Yes, poker is legal in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission approves poker, which means that it can be offered in commercial gambling establishments. The MSG lists many poker variations on its page, which means that they are all considered legal. You can play live poker for real money at the two commercial resort casinos in the state. MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor both offer poker rooms in MA. - Can you play PokerStars in Massachusetts?
No, you cannot play PokerStars in Massachusetts. State legislation does not allow real money online gambling. Additionally, PokerStars is only available in the US outside of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. There are currently no plans for PokerStars MA. The site does not accept any real money wagering from players in Massachusetts.