Inside The Launch Day Experience Of One Massachusetts Sports Bettor

At long last, online sports betting in Massachusetts is here. Sports fans in the state can now bet on their favorite sports and teams right from their mobile device thanks to the recent launch of six MA online sportsbooks.

It is certainly an exciting time to be a sports fan in Massachusetts, as new users are signing up all across the state.

We caught up with one bettor in particular to get feedback from his experience signing up, creating accounts and claiming MA online sportsbook bonuses.

Let’s see how it went.

Massachusetts launch day experience

Tim Doolan of Quincy, Massachusetts, is an avid sports fan who has been waiting quite some time for sports betting to come to his state.

“I’ve been tracking sports gambling for a while, regularly making mock picks, just to see how I would have performed if I had put in a slip,” Doolan told Play MA on Friday.

In recent weeks, Doolan noticed a ton of advertising for various sportsbooks that were coming to Massachusetts. On Friday, he got his chance to get in on the action.

“It was very exciting to finally be able to place my first slips today, and do so from the comfort of my own home,” he said.

Doolan said downloading the apps was a simple process. He has already placed a number of bets on a few different platforms. His first bet was a 10-leg parlay involving a variety of sports and leagues on Barstool Sportsbook.

He also made sure to claim several welcome bonuses, including the pre-launch offers from FanDuel Massachusetts and BetMGM Massachusetts.

He went out of his way to look up each sign-up bonus being offered in order to avoid depositing too much money right off the bat.

“As much as I love gambling, I love doing it more with house money and wanted to avoid depositing as much money as I could,” he said.

Which bonuses stood out the most?

“I was a big fan of some of the early sign-up bonuses and first bet bonuses being offered,” Doolan said. “I can see the appeal to deals like that offered by Barstool where they will cover your first bet in credits if it loses, but seeing as I’m balling on a budget, it was less appealing to me than a $100 or $200 credit just for signing up.”

He also noted that some sportsbooks have a steeper threshold to their welcome bonuses than others, which turned him away.

“Wynn’s deposit $100, get $100 offer isn’t bad,” he said, “but also not really for me when I’m trying to deposit as little as possible to get the biggest return on a sign-up bonus.”

In addition, he has enjoyed checking out some of the early deals and odds boosts. For example, FanDuel is offering up to $50 in bonus bets if at least one point is scored in the Duke vs. Miami ACC Tournament game on Friday night.

“I’m not really into gambling for the money, but more for the challenge of getting picks right and trying to spot trends in the data, or what I see when watching people play on the court/field/ice,” Doolan said. “I see myself placing much more bets at $1 than anything big and really just having fun as I go.”

Launch Day 101: Massachusetts Sports Betting Live With $4,050 Of Offers For Bettors

Massachusetts sports betting scene

Online sports betting in Massachusetts launched at 10 a.m. on Friday.

Six apps are now available in the Bay State. They are: DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, WynnBET, FanDuel and Barstool Sportsbook. Other companies will join the mix in the coming months.

At full capacity, Massachusetts could feature as many as 15 mobile sportsbooks. So far, 11 mobile licenses have been approved, but PointsBet withdrew its application and will not launch in Massachusetts. Betr plans to go live some time in the next month, while Bally Bet and Fanatics Sportsbook will launch in May. Betway will launch in January 2024.

In addition to online betting, MA residents can wager at three Massachusetts casinos: MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor and Plainridge Park Casino.

Needless to say, Massachusetts sports fans now have plenty of options when it comes to placing their wagers.

Also read: How Twitter Is Reacting To Massachusetts Sports Betting Launch

If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, call 1-800-327-5050 or visit www.mahelpline.org/problemgambling to speak with a trained specialist for free, 24/7