Acceptance of Sports Wagers
Effective Apr 24, 2026MGL c. 23N, §§ 4, 10, 11 and 13Massachusetts Gaming Commission
- (1) Available Sports Wagers Must Be Displayed to the Public. The display must include the odds and a brief description of the Sporting Event and wagering proposition.
- (2) A Sports Wagering Operator may not accept a Sports Wager on a Sporting Event unless the availability of that Wager is posted in accordance with 205 CMR 247.07(1).
- (3) A Sports Wagering Operator may not set lines or odds or offer wagering propositions designed for the purposes of ensuring that a patron will win a Sports Wager or a series of Sports Wagers, unless the lines, odds, or wagering propositions are offered in connection with a promotional offer made in accordance with 205 CMR 247.09.
(4) Sports Wagers may only be placed from:
- (a) A sports wagering counter or other counter locations within a Sports Wagering Facility or Sports Wagering Area as approved by the Commission;
- (b) A Sports Wagering Kiosk, within a Sports Wagering Facility or Sports Wagering Area and in a location approved by the Commission;
- (c) A designated counter in the cashier's cage within a Sports Wagering Facility or Sports Wagering Area for the redemption of winning sports wagering tickets or vouchers; or
- (d) A mobile application or digital platform approved by the Commission.
(5) Sports wagers within a Sports Wagering Facility or Sports Wagering Area may only be conducted with chips, tokens, electronic cards, or:
- (a) Cash or cash equivalents;
- (b) Foreign currency and coin converted to U.S. currency;
- (c) Electronic funds transfers (EFTs), including online and mobile payment systems;
- (d) Debit instruments, including debit cards and prepaid access instruments, excluding those that can be purchased or loaded with a credit card;
- (e) Promotional gaming credits;
- (f) Winning sports wagering tickets or vouchers;
- (g) Sports Wagering Accounts; or
- (h) Any other means approved by the Commission or its designee.
- (6) Sports wagering transactions using a mobile application or other digital platform may only be conducted by a patron physically located within the Commonwealth, using their Sports Wagering Account.
- (7) A Sports Wagering Operator shall prohibit any use of credit cards, either directly or indirectly, including without limitation through an account funded by credit card, in placing Sports Wagers.
(8) A Sports Wagering Operator shall record the Personally Identifiable Information required to register for a Sports Wagering Account under 205 CMR 248.03(1) before accepting anonymous Sports Wagers in excess of $10,000 or issuing payouts on anonymous Sports Wagers in excess of $10,000.
- (a) The Sports Wagering Operator shall not knowingly allow, and shall take reasonable steps to prevent, the circumvention of reporting requirements through a patron making a structured transaction, including multiple Sports Wagers or a series of Sports Wagers that are designed to accomplish indirectly that which could not be accomplished directly. A Sports Wager or wagers need not exceed the dollar thresholds at any single Sports Wagering Operator in any single day in order to constitute prohibited structuring.
- (b) The Sports Wagering Operator shall not knowingly assist, encourage or instruct a player in structuring or attempting to structure Sports Wagers.
- (c) 205 CMR 247.07(8) does not prohibit a Sports Wagering Operator from informing a player of the regulatory requirements imposed upon the Sports Wagering Operator, including the definition of structured Sports Wagers.
- (9) A Sports Wagering Operator must provide for the patron's review and finalization of a Sports Wager before the Sports Wagering Operator accepts it. The Sports Wagering Operator shall not change a Sports Wager after the patron has reviewed and finalized the wager. To the extent permitted by approved House Rules, a patron may change a Sports Wager after the patron has reviewed and finalized the wager.
- (10) A Sports Wagering Operator may cancel an accepted Sports Wager only in accordance with 205 CMR 238.35.
- (11) Except as otherwise provided in 205 CMR 238.35: Cancelled or Voided Wagers may not unilaterally cancel an accepted Sports Wager without prior written approval of the Commission. A Ticket Writer, as defined in 205 CMR 238.01: Definitions, may not cancel a Sports Wager for which the Ticket Writer assisted the patron for wager placement and must instead call a supervisor to cancel the Sports Wager.
- (12) A Sports Wagering Operator shall have no obligation to accept a Sports Wager if unable to do so due to equipment failure.