At this point in time there’s no live Texas holdem poker available in
Massachusetts in any casinos. Although there are some promising signs that this
will change soon. So, if you live in Boston or somewhere else in the state
there’s some things to look forward to.

In the meantime, you still do have some decent options in respect to finding
live poker action without too much inconvenience. Gaming in Massachusetts is
mostly acceptable these days with horse and dog racing betting, lottery, bingo,
and raffles all permitted.

1. Massachusetts is a gambler-friendly haven. Residents of Massachusetts are able to legally play many different types gambling games, which includes casinos, state and regional lottery, dog and horse racing, charity bingo and raffles, and generally enjoy some of the most liberal social gambling laws in the country.
2. 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.
3. In regards to tournaments, Chapter 271 of the MA General Laws states that, 'poker tournaments that do not violate Massachusetts lottery laws are still illegal if they allow players or spectators to register bets of money or anything else of value on the result of the.

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. Encore Poker Everett Operated by: Wynn Resorts Limited Cash games run 24 hours daily at the luxurious Encore Poker Room, which features 74 poker tables, including 11 high-limit tables, six separate VIP tables.

Recently the state has introduced legislation to allow casinos to be built
under a series of strict regulations and permits. This is where the silver
lining exists for Massachusetts residents.

Currently there are two casinos being constructed in Springfield and Boston
Harbor. These are being built and run by MGM and Wynn respectively.

This means by 2018 you’ll have access to at least two poker rooms and more
than 30 tables to get your live poker fill anytime, any day. This is a great
thing for the residents of Massachusetts who in the past have had to commute to
Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New Jersey to play live poker.

While this isn’t such a bad thing and isn’t too much of an inconvenience
given the relative proximity to most of the larger cities in the state, it’s
always better to have options in your own backyard.

Neighbouring States

Until these new casinos are built and operating, you’ll need to play your
live poker at the above-mentioned establishments. If you live in Boston or in
the southern part of the state, the best place to play is Foxwoods in
Connecticut. In the north of the state the best is The Poker Room at Hampton
Falls or Seabrook Poker Room, both in New Hampshire.

In the western part of the state you’ll want to go south into Connecticut as
well. From mid-February, you’ll also have the option of the casino and poker
room at the Rivers Casino and Resort at Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady, New York.
Otherwise if you want to take a short flight you can get down to Atlantic City
in New Jersey quite quickly where there are still some decent options available
in respect to Texas holdem poker.

Other Gaming

One casino has already opened in the state and that’s Plainridge Park Casino.
This features a harness racing track, which has been around for a while, and a
slot parlour which opened in 2015. It was since this point that the venue
officially became a casino. The casino is in Plainville and is owned and
operated by Penn National Gaming, who have deep gaming interests in Pennsylvania
and Las Vegas.

If you’d like to participate in some form of gaming until the new casinos are
open and operating your options will be a bit limited. You can play lottery,
raffles, and bingo, and place wagers on horse and dog racing. You can also hit
up the Plainridge Park Casino for some slot action, as we outlined above.

This should provide you with some level of entertainment to keep you covered
between the poker tables, although if you truly love poker and are a purist you
generally wouldn’t touch these kinds of things with a ten-foot pole, and that’s
purely because it’s all luck based and the odds are stacked against you.

This isn’t so true for horse and dog racing, where a little bit of effort and
study can result in some modest wins on a long enough time line, but you need to
put in a lot of hours and have the patience of a saint to achieve this though.
In any case, that’s not to say it isn’t a lot of fun though, and who doesn’t
like to have a flutter every now and then on luck based games and the horses and
dogs?

Online Poker

Online poker is currently not regulated in the state of Massachusetts and as
such you won’t be able to find and play on any local card rooms online. While
online play is still possible through off shore poker sites, this is a bit of a
grey area and carries associated risks.

The big and respected sites such as Pokerstars, Full Tilt, and Party Poker
don’t welcome any players from Massachusetts, and most of the United States for
that matter, so if you are playing online you’ll have to go through one of the
smaller and less reputable card rooms. The future does look bright for online
play though and once New York regulates online play it’s anticipated that
Massachusetts will quickly follow suit.

If you wish to play online casino games from Massachusetts, you can also do
so. You’ll be able to find several respected and trusted online casinos that
offer slots and tables games, including craps, blackjack, roulette and baccarat.

Conclusion

While things aren’t great in the Bay state at the moment in relation to Texas
holdem poker, there’s significant change coming in this area in the next few
years. While this will hurt some of the major casinos in the surrounding states
it’s undoubtedly a good thing for players and will attract a new cohort of
players to the game.

This will continue to put pressure on lawmakers and representatives to
continue to regulate and allow more live poker and games online. The game was in
an amazing place prior to black Friday, and we can only hope we’ll return to
these glory days once more states open live rooms and then online play.

This will generate more interest in the game as a sport as well, which will
add an extra layer of excitement to the game and attract different demographic
groups towards this great game. Things are looking great for Boston and
Massachusetts overall, so stay tuned for more updates and only good news for
poker in this state.

For many years, the government in Massachusetts watched residents (and their revenue) cross into neighboring Connecticut to enjoy poker games at the resort casinos of Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. In 2011, they finally took action, approving 3 State-licensed casinos. These have gone through tender and construction has already started. Big names like MGM and Hard Rock are building their casinos fast – with poker rooms expected to open in both in 2015 and 2016.

Recommended Massachusetts Poker Site

This article covers all the different ways you can play poker in this State. First of all, live (casino) poker games are covered. After that you will find information on social poker games including home-games and bar leagues. Next online poker is discussed, along with the chances of future regulated internet games. Finally, you will find information from the Massachusetts Statute books clarifying the legality of poker – along with a summary and quick look into the future.

Live Poker Games For Massachusetts Residents

Until 2015 at least, finding a casino with a poker room is going to involve a trip across State borders into Connecticut. You’ll be happy you made the journey, with the poker rooms at Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods some of the best on the East Coast. Big tournament events as well as high and low stakes cash games are the norm at these famous venues.

The Hard Rock and MGM casinos promise poker action soon, and you can be sure that these big casino groups will be looking to attract the major tournament events too. These will be complimented by 1 additional State casino, and a tribal casino is already at the planning stage too. After many years of being a desert for live poker games, MA is about to hit a boom.

Are Home Games Legal In Massachusetts?

You can legally enjoy a social home poker game in this State, with these games having an exemption from the generally strict gambling laws. The rules state that nobody is allowed to make a profit from running these games – which can include raking the pots or charging an entry fee (for example tournament entries).

There are also bar league poker opportunities here. These are not able to charge an entry fee, though they do reward players with small real prizes.

Are Online Poker Games Allowed In MA?

At the moment, internet gambling is assumed to be illegal under the current State laws – which do include a ‘gambling on the telephone’ clause. There are already some discussions concerning future regulation of internet poker games. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (who oversee all types of gambling in MA) have already come out in favor of regulating online games. While there is some political support for this move, the battle to license live casinos is still in the recent past – so there might not be the political will just yet for another big fight. Success of regulated State poker games elsewhere, including revenues for State coffers, should go a long way to kick-starting this type of legislation. With more than 6.5 million residents, this State would be able to support poker sites of their own – though joining with others in a liquidity sharing deal would benefit both players and the poker sites.

What Do The Massachusetts Statutes Say?

Massachusetts Poker Games Online

Like many States, the MA law is set up to say that all gambling is illegal, unless there is a specific carve-out on the books. Wagering is the key factor here, and unusually the legal wording does not clearly differentiate between the players of gambling games and the organizers of them (which could be a problem if you get busted!).

Here is the key wording from section 1 of chapter 271 of the State code:

…winning at one time or sitting, by gaming or betting on the sides or hands of those gaming, money or goods to the value of five dollars or more, and of receiving the same or security therefor…

Online Poker In Massachusetts

There is no easy ‘skill game’ clause for poker, as the definition of wagering does not specify whether this is on a game of chance or a game of skill. You will find that bets of under $5 are exempt from this definition, though it is not clear if that is per individual bet or per hand.

Massachusetts Poker

Poker In Massachusetts – Summing It Up

Massachusetts Poker Games To Play

Things are about to kick off in style for live poker fans in Massachusetts, with the Hard Rock and MGM opening their doors in 2015 and 2016. In the meantime you can still enjoy a road trip across to Connecticut for the games at Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods – or you can play in a social home game (as long as nobody is making a profit by running that game).

Is Online Poker Legal In Massachusetts

Online poker looks like a strong possibility here. Like in many States, the appetite for legislation will largely depend on how much money the pioneer States of Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware raise for their State coffers. Once this is proven, there is little reason to think that Massachusetts would be a State to opt out.