Mobile sports betting officially underway in Massachusetts

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Online sports betting is now up and running in Massachusetts. Mobile bets began to be placed across the state at 10 a.m. Friday and MGM Springfield celebrated the launch of their sports betting app.

For the first time ever, sports bettors across the Bay State are able to place wagers on their favorite teams through their electronic devices with seven apps including BetMGM, Draft Kings, and FanDuel. At MGM Springfield’s sports betting lounge, Vice President of Casino Operations Robert Westerfield told Western Mass News that he is thrilled to have this phase up and running, along with the in-person bets.

“To add this amenity on top of it now, to make the offering even bigger is just fantastic. We’re super excited, the property’s excited. We were waiting a long time for this day,” Westerfield said.

This is a moment five years in the making. MGM Springfield President and COO Chris Kelley also celebrated the launch of the app, almost a month and a half after in-person sports betting became legal in Massachusetts.

“Ultimately, it’s very easy to go in, create an account, and then place bets on a myriad of different options. There are actually more options to bet through the mobile platform than there are here in the brick and mortar as well,” Kelley explained.

There are multiple features on the BetMGM app, such as promotions and the ability to make prop bets. As a whole, Kelley said everyone can benefit.

“It’s about bringing people together here at the brick and mortar, so it’s wonderful to have these events where they come together, watch the big games…and then think about these tax revenues that have been exiting the state for years. Now, we’re going to keep them right here in the Commonwealth,” Kelley added.

Westerfield played up the convenience.

“Sometimes, that’s not feasible for everybody. There’s a little distance between, they have some other obligations, there’s different things going on. This gives you just another avenue to have yourself an action and enjoy watching the ball games,” Westerfield noted.

The casino advised that bettors put their money in a separate bank account as a safety precaution. Only Massachusetts residents who are 21 and over are eligible to place bets through the app.

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