Predicting Welcome Bonuses for the 11 Massachusetts Online Sportsbooks

Retail sports betting is scheduled to go live in Massachusetts in just two weeks. And MA online sports betting is expected to follow soon after, potentially by March.

Until then, the 11 approved online sportsbooks — major companies and a few newcomers — are prepping to go to market with promo offers to attract new users and gain solid standing in the Bay State. 

From the Boston Celtics to the New England Patriots to the Boston Red Sox, Massachusetts has one of the biggest sports markets in the country and will no doubt attract a large pool of excited sports bettors. Which sportsbook gains the most popularity in the state could depend on what they offer right out of the gates.

READ MORE: Ranking the 11 Massachusetts Sports Betting Apps Coming in 2023

We put together a list of the sportsbooks expected to be available in Massachusetts and what their welcome promo offers may be. Review our projections below and keep an eye out for the official promo and bonus code offers once sports betting is officially legal in Massachusetts.

FanDuel

FanDuel is one of the premier sportsbooks on the market. However, despite the sportsbook’s success, they are one of the most conservative in terms of promos. In 2022, they broke ground in New York and Ohio with similar promo offers for new users. It’s usually along the lines of bet $5 and get $150 to $200 in bonus bet credits. 

However, other markets don’t have as many licensed online sportsbooks as Massachusetts is projected to have. To keep pace, FanDuel Massachusetts may offer a $1,000 No Sweat First Bet, which they occasionally roll out around big sporting events. 

DraftKings

DraftKings has a market value six times that of FanDuel, and that’s routinely reflected in the sportsbook’s marketing budget and promo offer value. Ohio is the latest state to legalize sports betting, and new users there get up to $1,250 in bonuses, including $250 in bet credits and a 20% deposit match up to $1,000.

That’s one of the most lucrative and well-rounded promo offers on the market, and it could get even better. DraftKings is headquartered in Massachusetts and may be looking for a hometown advantage.

One of the ways they have sweetened the pot in the past is a sweepstake. New users who sign up with DraftKings MA could potentially be entered in a $100,000 to $1 million raffle.

BetMGM

BetMGM is another sports betting behemoth. It’s one of the fastest-growing sportsbook operators, and one of the few with any type of offer worth $1,000 or more. BetMGM’s current bonus in multiple states is first-bet insurance up to $1,000. It also gives a $50 bonus bet. The offer is currently the third-highest value of all major sportsbooks. 

This bonus offer is in line with previous launch offers in other states, so look for something similar if you’re signing up for BetMGM Massachusetts.

Caesars Sportsbook

Caesars Sportsbook is geared toward the avid sports bettor. The current offer lands a $1,250 First Bet on Caesars and thousands in tier and reward credits that can land even more bonus bets in the future.

This sportsbook is no stranger to offering massive promos geared around insurance bets. We’ve seen as much as $1,500 in insurance from Caesars recently and $3,000 in years past. We wouldn’t be surprised if the launch offer for Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts is around the same or up to $2,000.

BetFanatics

You can’t be a sports fan and not know the name Fanatics. The popular sports apparel retailer recently launched a sportsbook and has  received a license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Considering it’s going to be one of the newest sportsbooks on the market, the promo offer must rival or top the offers from the more established platforms. 

Fanatics is worth more than $30 billion and will have plenty of resources to help make the platform as attractive as any.

However, giving too much money away before getting their feet under them isn’t likely. So the offer is most likely going to be insurance-related. That way, if new users’ first bet wins, BetFanatics doesn’t pay out. However, if new users’ first bet does lose, they’ll likely get their wager back up to at least $2,000 or more. 

WynnBET

WynnBET is another hometown kid in the world of gambling in Massachusetts. The company opened Encore Boston Harbor in Massachusetts back in 2019 and has already broken ground on new facilities that will include a sports betting area. Due to having an established presence in the state, the sportsbook may not take the hefty promo route. You can look for WynnBET’s promo offer to be $100 to $200 in bet credits for new users. 

PointsBet

PointsBet is smaller than any of the previously mentioned sportsbooks on the list, but its promo offers usually pack a big punch. As recently as December, the sportsbook’s promo was two 2nd Chance Bets up to $2,000. Considering how big of a market Massachusetts is, a similar offer is a reasonable expectation. 

Between a competitive promo offer and its unique PointsBetting wager opportunity, the platform could be in a prime position to boost its profile among sports bettors with PointsBet Massachusetts.

Bally Bet

Bally Bet is only available in six states — Massachusetts will make seven. As a smaller sportsbook, it doesn’t often, if at all, offer sizable promo offers for new users. It also doesn’t provide welcome promo offers in all states. However, Massachusetts getting a new user bonus is highly likely given the market size compared to the six states in which the sportsbook currently operates. 

The current promo is a bet match of $250. That is not bad at all, but it doesn’t stand out against the variety of other options sports bettors will have when go live arrives. 

Betr

Betr is another of the newest sports betting apps on the market. YouTube star Jake Paul and Joey Levy founded it. The app allows new users to microbet. A microbet is a possession-based bet. Instead of betting on the final stats, the first drive, or the result of the game, you focus more on the moment. Like if the next pitch will be a ball or strike. Or if the next basket be a dunk or 3-pointer, etc. 

It’s unique and has a chance to balloon into an industry favorite. However, as of now, it’s new and doesn’t have the backing the other platforms do. The current promo scores new users in Ohio a $100 bonus. We don’t see any offer going too far beyond that for Betr. 

Barstool Sportsbook

Despite not having the market share the major sportsbooks have, Barstool, like PointsBet, is another sportsbook that keeps pace with the promo offers of major competitors. Currently, Barstool Sportsbook is offering $1,000 fitst-bet insurance to new users. We can’t imagine the current promo dropping to less for the Massachusetts launch day. 

You shouldn’t count on it being higher either. Unlike PointsBet, Barstool hasn’t been known to surpass $1,000 in bonuses often. And, given their brand notoriety, they may not feel the need to do more.

READ MORE: How MA Sportsbook Taxes Will Impact Problem Gambling Funding in the State

Betway

Betway made its debut in the US in 2021 and is now licensed in six states. It won’t be available in Massachusetts when online sports betting launches later this year, but it won’t be far behind. Since the sportsbook crossed the pond from Europe and into the states, the biggest promos for new users have been first-bet insurance offers of $1,000 and $250. Those are the only two bonuses the sportsbook has made available in the US. So we don’t see it being any different in Massachusetts.