Massachusetts · Sports betting
Is sports betting legal in Massachusetts?
Where sportsbooks stand in Massachusetts, where Kalshi, Polymarket and other prediction markets stand, and why the answers differ. Built from our sourced state records.
The short answer
Yes. Online sports betting is legal in Massachusetts. Retail and mobile sports betting; mobile launched March 10, 2023.1
Prediction markets are a separate question: we found no court order or regulator action stopping Kalshi from offering sports contracts in Massachusetts, as of Oct. 22, 2026.
Sportsbooks in Massachusetts
Sports betting in Massachusetts is legal online. Retail and mobile sports betting; mobile launched March 10, 2023.1 Gaming oversight: Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Prediction markets in Massachusetts
Our status for Massachusetts: In litigation. The state and a prediction market operator are actively in court, and no order blocking the operator is in force. A state-court injunction against Kalshi's sports contracts has been stayed since February 2026 while Massachusetts' highest court considers Kalshi's appeal.
Latest action (Other development, Oct. 7, 2026): Massachusetts's attorney general signed an Ohio-led amicus brief, joined by 38 other states and DC, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to grant New Jersey's petition in Flaherty v. KalshiEX (No. 26-299).2
We track 8 lawsuits involving Massachusetts. Federal appeals from Massachusetts go to the First Circuit, where an appeal on the question is pending. Full record: prediction market laws in Massachusetts.
Which prediction market apps work in Massachusetts
| Platform | In Massachusetts | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | No restriction found | A January 2026 state-court injunction against Kalshi's sports contracts in Massachusetts was put on hold pending appeal in February 2026. CBS Sports reported on October 21, 2026 that Kalshi still awaits a Supreme Judicial Court ruling. A Gambling.com headline from August 25, 2026 said the ban was in force, so current status is conflicting. |
| Polymarket US | No restriction found | |
| Coinbase | No restriction found | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
| Crypto.com | No restriction found | Named in the December 2025 spokesperson list of states without sports markets. Current status not confirmed. |
| DraftKings Predictions | Sports blocked | |
| Fanatics Markets | Not offered | Contracts trade on Crypto.com | Derivatives North America (Nadex rules). |
| FanDuel Predicts | Sports blocked | Contracts trade on CME Group (financial contracts) and Crypto.com | Derivatives North America / OG (sports, entertainment and combination contracts). |
| Gemini Predictions | No restriction found | Listed as excluded by DeFi Rate (updated 2026-10-10). Not confirmed from Gemini. |
| PrizePicks | Sports blocked | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
| Robinhood | No restriction found | Contracts trade on KalshiEX, ForecastEx and Rothera Exchange and Clearing (a Robinhood joint venture with SIG); since 2026-09-08 also OG.com's North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc.. |
| Underdog | Offered | Contracts trade on Underdog's own exchange UDX (Aristotle Exchange DCM/DCO, Inc. d/b/a Underdog Exchange), plus Kalshi and Nadex (Crypto.com | Derivatives North America). |
| Webull | No restriction found | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
“No restriction found” means we know of no court order, regulator action or platform notice stopping it in Massachusetts; it is not a finding that it is legal there.
Why the answers differ
A sportsbook takes the other side of each bet and keeps what bettors lose.3 It needs a license from the state. A prediction market is an exchange that matches users with each other and takes a fee,3 and the large ones are regulated by the CFTC, whose jurisdiction over trading on those exchanges federal law calls exclusive.4 That is the platforms’ case for offering sports contracts nationwide; by the 2025 Super Bowl, Kalshi offered them in all 50 states, including states without legal sports betting.5
States answer that sports event contracts are sports bets by another name; Massachusetts, for one, says Kalshi’s closely resemble wagers at licensed sportsbooks.6 Federal appeals courts have split, 1 for the platforms and 2 for the states, and 3 petitions now ask the Supreme Court to decide: see the circuit split.
Age limits
Kalshi and Polymarket US accept customers from 18,78 while most states set the gambling age at 20 or 21, a gap critics including the NCAA have raised.9 See how old you have to be. If gambling is causing you harm, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Questions
- Is sports betting legal in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Online sports betting is legal in Massachusetts. Retail and mobile sports betting; mobile launched March 10, 2023.
- Who regulates sports betting in Massachusetts?
- Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
- Is Kalshi legal in Massachusetts?
- We found no court order or regulator action stopping Kalshi from serving Massachusetts, as of Oct. 22, 2026. Massachusetts's status on prediction markets: in litigation. Details are on our Kalshi in Massachusetts page.
- Is Polymarket legal in Massachusetts?
- We found no court order or regulator action stopping Polymarket from serving Massachusetts, as of Oct. 28, 2026. Massachusetts's status on prediction markets: in litigation. Details are on our Polymarket in Massachusetts page.
- What is the difference between a sportsbook and a prediction market?
- A sportsbook takes the other side of each bet and keeps what bettors lose, under a state license. A prediction market is a federally regulated exchange that matches users with each other and charges a fee, which is why platforms argue state gambling law does not reach them.
Sources
- Massachusetts sports betting status
- Ohio et al. amicus brief, U.S. Supreme Court No. 26-299
- The New York Times (republished by West Hawaii Today, Oct. 6, 2025)
- 7 U.S.C. 2 (CEA section 2), Office of the Law Revision Counsel
- Axios (Jan. 31, 2025)
- Massachusetts Attorney General's Office (Sept. 12, 2025)
- Kalshi Help Center, Signing Up as an Individual
- Polymarket US terms of service
- Legal Sports Report (Mar. 19, 2026)