Proponents of an iLottery have finally gotten their wish in the Bay State as Governor Maura Healy signed the 2025 fiscal budget, which included an online lottery for those within the state’s borders.
Let’s take a closer look at the inclusion and how it might impact top-rated sportsbooks.
Lucky Numbers
The Massachusetts Lottery is one of the most successful in the nation and can trace its roots back to 1971 with the first ticket being sold the following year. Since that time, the Massachusetts Lottery has generated revenues of over $155 billion while returning approximately $109 billion in prizes. Five board members comprise the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission and the revenue helps support the Bay State’s 351 towns and cities.
But now the Massachusetts Lottery will enter the digital realm in the form of an iLottery that is slated to launch in December 2025. Those 21 and over are allowed to play and revenue derived from the online lottery will be used to establish a grant program that will fund early childhood education and daycare services.
“Our team is excited to implement an online Lottery,” said executive director of the Massachusetts Lottery, Mark William Bracken, in a press release. “We are ready and prepared to offer our players a modern lottery experience in a safe and accessible environment. At the same time, the Lottery is unwavering in its commitment to our dedicated retail partners who have helped us become the most successful lottery in the country.”
The online lottery is expected to generate an additional $100 million in annual revenue.
“We are prepared to implement a safe and reliable iLottery that will produce significant resources for critical childcare services, which are so desperately needed across the state,” commented Goldberg.
Worry No More
One of the biggest fears concerning the launch of sports betting in the Bay State came from the powers that be at the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission. The feeling was that there were only so many gambling dollars to go around and the lottery would be adversely impacted by the new digital competition.
At the time, Lottery Commissioner William Bracken was not happy about his organization taking a backseat to mobile sports betting, an industry that launched in the state on March 10, 2023.
“We’re the last gambling hold-out, basically, to be able to go online,” Bracken said. “Someone who’s able to sit there and play sports betting in the comfort of their home — that’s a major concern for us, where a lottery player is not going to be able to do the exact same.”
Moreover, Boston-based DraftKings acquired Jackpocket, an online lottery app, which also caught the attention of the commission. Bracken said, “I’m now going to have an online sports wagering vendor that’s going to be able to facilitate the carrying of my tickets.”
However, the Lottery recently reported a record-setting $6.165 billion in revenue for FY 2024, easing over the previous record set last year of $6.148 billion despite the absence of an online lottery.
“I am proud of our team’s performance as we faced mounting challenges in the marketplace. Thank you to our retail partners and our customers for their continued support of our mission,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission.
