Casinos in Massachusetts
Massachusetts expanded its land-based gambling industry in the recent past by legalizing brick and mortar casinos, but there’s simply no denying the fact that the local gambling laws are still rather strict, particularly when it comes to illegal real money gaming operations. The state currently offers pari-mutuel horse race betting and a state-owned lottery, but online slots, table games and video poker are going to become available as soon as the first Massachusetts casinos open their doors. Even though Massachusetts lawmakers are well aware of the popularity of online gambling, the state doesn’t have its own regulated online casino market yet.
Massachusetts Gambling Laws
Regulated gambling and illegal gambling is covered by Chapter 271 of Massachusetts General Laws. The current regulations allow Massachusetts residents to gamble in the privacy of their homes, but keep in mind that the law doesn’t address any issues pertaining specifically to online gambling.
While there are no regulations that single out online gambling as being an illegal activity and there are no penalties designed with online gamblers in mind, it is possible for Massachusetts authorities to argue that the general regulations prohibit playing casino games on offshore sites. That being said, that local law enforcement doesn’t seem to be interested in going after individual players – in fact, no online casino customers have been charged or prosecuted so far.
Online Casinos
Massachusetts is a state that doesn’t have its own, local online gambling market, which means that Massachusetts-based gambling enthusiasts have to turn to offshore casino sites if they want to pursue their hobby online. Most of those sites accept customers from all over the world, which means that their revenue is significantly higher than the profits of various intrastate sites. Consequently, offshore USA casinos online are quite notorious for offering some of the best bonuses and largest jackpots in the entire online gambling industry, which makes them very popular among both recreational players and seasoned casino aficionados.
Offshore Casino Sites That Accept Massachusetts Players
The casinos that offer their services to Massachusetts residents usually run on Real Time Gaming software, which is the most popular casino platform among US-facing sites. RTG games are all well-developed and feature amazing graphics and sound effects, which means that people who register with offshore casino sites gain access to all kinds of amazing slots, table games and virtual video poker machines.
Playing at an offshore casino site has many advantages, but the biggest shortcoming of those casinos is the limited number of banking options that they support. For example, Massachusetts players aren’t able to use standard e-wallet services like Neteller or Skrill when funding their on-site accounts. Consequently, most players prefer to go for a credit card deposit, but unfortunately not every card is going to work with offshore casino deposits. In the end, the most reliable method is to use a Western Union or MoneyGram money order, but you should keep in mind that most sites will require you to cover all the additional fees. On a brighter note, withdrawals usually don’t involve a lot of hassle since they’re usually handled via a bank wire transfer or a check by courier.
Developing Legal Scenarios
Massachusetts lawmakers actually tried to criminalize all kinds of online gambling back in 2010, but one year later Rep. Dan Winslow attempted to introduce a very i-gaming friendly online gambling bill. Both sides of the Massachusetts intrastate online gambling debate seem to be locked in a stalemate right now, so it seems somewhat likely that the current regulations won’t be altered until the sympathy of the general public swings one way or another.
