In Massachusetts, live poker is legally available at three casinos. Cardrooms offer cash games and tournaments throughout the week. You can even apply for a rewards card and claim loyalty points as you play.
Massachusetts law only allows for three commercial casinos. Two of them currently offer poker. However, you can travel across state lines to visit some excellent casino resorts in places such as Connecticut.
MGM Springfield is a Massachusetts casino from one of America’s top gambling brands. The cardroom accommodates 23 tables, with a variety of cash games to cater to all levels.
The stakes range from $1/$2 to $5/$10 for No Limit Texas Hold’em, and $2/$4 to $5/$10 for Limit Hold’em, with the occasional Pot Limit Omaha game running.
The poker room also hosts several big tournaments, including the popular Survivor poker tournament. This unique format of tournament sees a predetermined number of players ‘surviving’ until a certain point, at which the remaining prize pool is evenly distributed among them.
Promotions are another aspect where the MGM Springfield poker room shines. They offer a bad beat jackpot, which is a large cash prize awarded when a highly ranked poker hand is beaten by an even stronger one. This jackpot can turn a devastating loss into a massive win, adding an extra layer of excitement to the games.
MGM Springfield also offers a loyalty scheme for regular players. By using the MGM Resorts M life Rewards card, players can earn points for every hour they play. These points can be redeemed for a variety of rewards, such as discounts on dining, entertainment, and hotel stays.
Encore Boston Harbor is owned and operated by Wynn, one of the most iconic names in US casino gambling. You may have visited the Wynn or Encore in Las Vegas. Well, the Boston property houses a cardroom that is just as impressive.
The 24-table ‘The Loft’ is the largest cardroom in Massachusetts right now. It provides more than just a place to play poker; it considers the needs of its players by offering amenities such as phone chargers and free Wi-Fi. This attention to detail ensures you can stay connected while enjoying your favorite card game.
Open 24 hours, the poker room accommodates players of all schedules, allowing you to join a game whenever it suits you. Cash games start at $1/$3, with regular tournaments running all week.
In terms of promotions, The Loft offers a bad-beat promotion. This means that even if luck isn’t on your side, you could still walk away with a prize. Additionally, every time you play cash games and tournaments, you earn COMPDOLLARS. This unique feature allows you to accumulate rewards the more you play.
The Wynn Rewards program is an integral part of the Encore Boston Harbor experience. As a player, you can earn points for every dollar you spend, which can be redeemed for a variety of services and experiences across Wynn Resorts. This program is a testament to Encore Boston Harbor’s commitment to rewarding its loyal customers.
Two of the Massachusetts casinos have cardrooms that offer cash games and tournaments.
| Cardroom Name | Address | City | Phone Number |
| MGM Springfield | One MGM Way, Springfield, MA 01103 | Springfield | 1-413-273-5000 |
| Encore Boston Harbor | One Broadway, Everett, MA 02149 | Everett | 1-857-770-7000 |
Though Massachusetts only has two cardrooms, they are big enough to accommodate a full NLHE tournament or 24-hour cash games.
| Cardroom Name | Games Offered | Number of Tables | Major Events |
| MGM Springfield | Hold’em, Omaha, bounty tournaments, Survivor tournaments, bad-beat jackpot, Let It Ride High-Hand jackpot | 14 | n/a |
| Encore Boston Harbor | Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, bad-beat promotions | 24 | n/a |
A few other live poker options are open to you if you want to travel further afield. New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut all have casinos with poker rooms.
| Cardroom Name | Games Offered | Number of Tables | Major Events |
| Bally’s Twin River Casino | Hold’em, Omaha | 5 | n/a |
| Cardroom Name | Games Offered | Number of Tables | Major Events |
| Turning Stone Resort Casino | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, bounty tournaments | 32 | WSOPC |
| Resorts World Catskills | Hold’em, 7-Card Stud, PLO | 19 | $100K-GTD |
| Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady | Hold’em, Omaha | 16 | WPTDeepStacks |
| Cardroom Name | Games Offered | Number of Tables | Major Events |
| Foxwoods Resort Casino | Hold’em, PLO, 7-Card Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, tournaments | 110+ | WPT, WSOPC, $395 weekly guarantees |
| Mohegan Sun | Texas Hold’em, 7-Card Stud, Razz, PLO, Badugi, Pineapple, 2–7 Triple Draw, weekly tournaments | 40+ | WSOPC |
Each Massachusetts poker room is adjoined to a hotel offering basic rooms and full guest suites.
| Casino Name | Number of Rooms |
| MGM Springfield | 240 |
| Encore Boston Harbor | 671 |
Massachusetts poker rooms are a recent addition to The Bay State. Poker games are now fully legal following an expanded gaming act that was introduced in 2011. Online poker remains illegal, as per the terms of UIGEA.
Under the Gaming Act, plans were made for casino resorts in three regions of Massachusetts. Under the Massachusetts gambling laws, the MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor, and Plainridge Park Casino opened their doors. Only the MGM and Encore have poker rooms.
In addition, Massachusetts sportsbooks were introduced to casinos. The state has now legalized online and mobile sports betting.
Casino gambling and poker are regulated by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. There is also a tribal-state compact with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, signed in 2012. Discussions over a new casino and cardroom are ongoing.
Online poker is still illegal in Massachusetts. Although the Federal Wire Wager Act has been interpreted differently by states, Massachusetts has still not found a way to regulate online games.
Check out more of our guides for an in-depth analysis of legal gambling in Massachusetts:
You have several options at a Massachusetts poker room when it comes to games and tournaments. Mixed games are rare, but both MA cardrooms run a good spread of Hold’em and Omaha action.
Texas Hold’em is a popular poker variant where players aim to make the best five-card hand. In cash games, players exchange real money for chips and can join or leave at any time. Tournaments, however, have a fixed start time, and players compete until one player has all the chips.
Omaha is a poker variant similar to Texas Hold’em, but players receive four hole cards instead of two. In Pot Limit betting, the maximum bet a player can make is the current total amount in the pot. You can play PLO cash in Massachusetts at limits beginning at $2/$2.
Live poker in Massachusetts encompasses cash games and tournaments. Unusually for casinos in the northeast, you can play Survivor tourneys as well.
In a cash game, you can keep re-buying chips as long as you want to sit at the table. The Encore is the place to go for Massachusetts cash games. The cardroom there spreads Hold’em and PLO across its 24 tables. You can even earn COMPDOLLARS for every cash pot you play.
Tournaments at Massachusetts cardrooms are mostly offered at MGM Springfield. Games include bounties, freezeouts, and Survivors. In a Survivor, the player with the least number of chips at the end of each level is eliminated.
You can play bounties at MGM Springfield. In their $190 Bounty, part of the entry goes toward a main prizepool. You win the remainder every time you bust a player.
Pub poker is popular in Massachusetts. The company helps run live poker tournaments in bars across the state. The 2005 MA sweepstakes laws are used to provide legal games that guarantee cash prizes. You can win a share of $850 at every game. Best of all, the pub games are free to enter.
You can follow tournament calendars to keep track of live poker in Massachusetts. Cardrooms schedule big-money series during the year. However, the New York casinos across the border tend to have larger events such as the WSOPC.
The WSOPC (Circuit) is a smaller version of the World Series of Poker that hits Vegas every year. Connecticut is your best bet to find “local” WSOPC legs: Foxwoods has held WSOPC events for some years.
WPTDeepStacks has held legs in neighboring states to Massachusetts, such as New York and Connecticut. In these friendly-priced alternatives to the World Poker Tour championships, you can play with large chip stacks for a fraction of the cost of a Main Event.
Both Massachusetts cardrooms run loyalty programs through their casinos. You’re spoiled for choice with the Wynn Rewards Program (at Encore Boston Harbor) and MGM Rewards Program (at MGM Springfield). However, both loyalty schemes run similarly.
You start by applying for a rewards card. You earn points by playing poker or casino games. Points are then redeemed for credits or cash which you can use on hotels, meals out, or shows. You can also earn points by using branded credit cards at the casino.
In addition to loyalty programs, you can opt-in to promotions in the cardroom itself. Both Massachusetts live poker rooms offer high-hand jackpots and bad-beat jackpots for cash players. Terms and conditions vary, so check the cardroom website before you visit.
Read up on how online gambling and poker are changing in Massachusetts:
Some of the biggest live poker players in the US hail from Massachusetts:
Poker winnings are taxable in Massachusetts. Under the law, poker wins are classed as personal income and therefore must be declared on your tax return.
Gambling winnings at a Massachusetts poker room are subject to a 5% tax. However, you may be able to offset some of your losses. You must keep detailed receipts and winnings reports. The casino can help provide you with Win/Loss statements.
Online gambling is covered slightly differently. Online sportsbooks are now legal in Massachusetts, and you will have to declare any winnings. However, poker sites are still unregulated and are licensed offshore. It’s down to you to keep records of any big wins. We have provided an online gambling tax guide for your information.
Yes, Massachusetts poker rooms have been legal since 2012. Under an expanded gaming act, it’s now legal to play Hold’em and Omaha at three casino resorts in designated regions of Massachusetts. Read more about US gambling laws by state.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission oversees poker rooms and casinos. They ensure responsible gambling rules are adhered to and that all games are fair. Read more in our US state and federal gaming commission directory.
There are two poker rooms in Massachusetts, at MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor. A third casino at Plainridge Park has no functioning cardroom.
MGM Springfield was the first casino with a cardroom to open in Massachusetts. It launched with a 23-table cardroom in 2018 and offers Hold’em, Omaha, cash games, and tournaments.
No. Massachusetts has not passed any online poker laws. There are no MA-licensed poker sites, but you can play Texas Hold’em and Stud at offshore websites for real money.
The minimum gambling age is 21 or over to play poker at a Massachusetts casino. You may also have to pay tax on poker winnings if you meet the threshold for withheld poker prizes.
There is a casual and informal dress code at Massachusetts poker rooms during the daytime. Poker rooms are fairly relaxed about dress, but you may be denied entry if you are wearing a vest and sandals.
The cardroom at Encore Boston Harbor is open 24/7. However, the MGM Springfield poker room is only open from 10 a.m. until 3 a.m. You can play cash games as soon as the cardroom opens.
No. However, Massachusetts charity poker firms like Eastern Poker Tour run satellites into WSOP Circuit events for neighboring states like Connecticut. Satellites guarantee several seats to the WSOPC Main Event.
The Eastern Poker Tour is the nearest thing to home games in Massachusetts. It’s a bar poker league that hosts free games across all regions of Massachusetts. You can also qualify for WSOP events at Eastern Poker Tour games.
Yes. Poker winnings are subject to a 5% state tax. This is in addition to the 24% federal tax if your prize is worth $1,200 or above. Inform the IRS of your poker wins and losses when you file your return.
Of course. The MGC has a Responsible Gaming Framework which ensures all licensed casinos operate a fair environment for gamblers. The casinos’ responsible gambling tools include budget-setting and voluntary self-exclusion programs.
Yes. Daniel Colman and Nick Petrangelo are two of the most successful MA poker pros. They have amassed over $60m in combined tournament winnings over their careers.
Yes, you may be liable for a 5% tax rate on poker winnings that are classed as individual income. In addition, you may be reported for federal tax at 24% if the size of the winnings is big enough.
No. Massachusetts poker tournaments all require money to enter. You can, however, play freerolls online at our recommended poker sites. You can also claim a welcome bonus when you set up your online account.
Yes. You can join a rewards program when you visit a casino for the first time. Earn loyalty points when you play poker tournaments or mixed games, then exchange them for room and meal comps.
Talks over a fourth casino and cardroom in MA have been ongoing since 2012. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is in a legal battle to build the First Light Resort and Casino.
Are you ready to take your online gambling experience to the next level? Sign up for the LetsGambleUSA newsletter and get the latest news, exclusive offers, and expert tips delivered straight to your inbox.
